Book II: Keeper of the Stars
by Fenix Uzumaki
Summary: Josh "Chase" Thimple promised that Beary and Jewel would go through hell soon, VERY soon. Meanwhile, Trixie and Tennessee are finally getting married, but later that night, all hell breaks loose when the two cubs go missing from the hotel.
1. Prologue

Well, I promised another book, and here it is. Things from Book One still apply.

I do not own the Country Bears. But I do own Jewel St. Claire/O'Neal, Jordan, Tasha, and James Stone, Josh Thimple. Faye Tality, Lei Hathworth, Kaspian Hathworth, Kenya Hathworth, Roxi Starr, and any other character you do not recognize from the movie or previous story.

I also do NOT own the music in this fanfic. They belong to their proper owners. If you want to find their owners, type in the lyrics on Google.

**Now, I must warn y'all. This story may have some drastic situations and deal with real-life situations [such as kidnapping, selling of slaves, etc]. If this bothers you, then please, don't read. But these are all real things, and they happen every day. I just wish to bring it to life, to get out the information.**

Summary: Josh "Chase" Thimple said that Beary and Jewel would go through Hell soon. When they are kidnapped from their hotel, they truly enter Hell on Earth.

Current ages: 

Albert "Big Al" Hathworth [by adoption] – 61

Lei Williams Claybourne – 61

Derek Claybourne – 61

Henry Dixon Taylor – 51

Faye Tality – 51

Ted Bedderhead – 46½

Fred Bedderhead – 45

Tennessee O'Neal – 44

Trixie St. Claire – 43

Zeb Zoober – 42

Kaspian Hathworth – 24

Kenya Hathworth – 23

Dex Barrington – 18

Roxi Starr – 18

Jewel St. Claire – 12¾

Beary Barrington Taylor – 12½

**_And we begin…_**

**_You are cordially invited to  
celebrate the wedding of_**

**_Trixie Michelle St. Claire_**

**_and_**

**_Tennessee Patrick O'Neal_**

**_on Friday afternoon  
September the 24th  
at four o'clock_**

**_1289 West Newton St.  
Salt Lake City, Utah_**

**_.~*~._**

**_Followed by a reception_**

**_RSVP 249-486-4381_**

"Do you, Tennessee Patrick O'Neal, take this woman, Trixie Michelle St. Claire, to be your wife, according to Ursute's holy Bond? Do you promise to be to her a loving and loyal husband, to cherish and keep her in sickness and in health; and, forsaking all others, to be faithful only to her as long as you both shall live?"

Tennessee looked into his bride-to-be's beautiful forest green eyes. His grin took up most of his face. He couldn't believe it was finally happening. He was finally marrying the love of his life. Here she was, standing before him in the most beautiful wedding dress he had ever seen. He had waited twelve years to see her in this dress, standing in front of the altar with him.

His mind was filled with the memory of when they had first met eighteen years ago…

**F****LASHBACK**

"_Oh, come on, Tennessee! Don't be a chicken!" Zeb Zoober complained, taking another swig of his honey. "You have no choice in the matter, anyway!"_

"_Yeah, go sing!" Fred laughed, eating another salmon finger. Why it was called a salmon finger, he didn't know, nor did he care. As long as it was food, he was all right with it._

_Ted stayed silent, his eyes drawn to the group of female bears that were dancing on the dance floor. A small smile was on his face._

_Zeb, 24, Ted, 28, Fred, 27, and Tennessee, 26, were all gathered around a table at the karaoke bar in Salt Lake City, Utah, taking a break before they had to move on to the next stop on their tour. They had been a band for a little over a year, and didn't have any plans of quitting. _

_They had snuck away from their manager, Henry, and his wife, Helen, and decided to have a night on the town. And, judging by the way Henry and Helen had been looking at each other, it didn't seem that they would really miss the band all that much._

_They had been here for nearly an hour, and all but Tennessee were halfway drunk. Well, Zeb was drunker than the rest, due to his immense love of the sticky liquid called Honey. Tennessee refused to drink, claiming that at least one of them had to be sober in order to get them back to the hotel._

"_I don't know, you guys… I mean, I thought we were supposed to be in disguise!" the thang player laminated as he stuffed another French fry in his mouth. He had been chosen to sing next with an unknown partner, but he wasn't too keen on the idea. "I thought we didn't want to be swarmed by fans!"_

_Zeb snorted. "Who's gonna recognize us, man? Nobody!"_

"_But-"_

_The fiddler shoved the brown bear in the direction of the stage. "Get goin'!"_

_Tennessee sighed and made his way up to the stage, getting pats on the back from bystanders. Once onstage, he sighed and waited for his partner._

_Suddenly, several people wolf-whistled and started cat-calling. He looked around, trying to figure out what was going on, and his eyes widened when he saw a beautiful golden furred she-bear, wearing an open, ankle-length, black coat with a blue feathery hem, making her way up to the stage. Her eyes were a lovely forest green, and her smile shy. Her hair was down to her shoulders in wringlets and a bit brighter than her fur. _

"_Uh, hi," the she-bear said nervously, holding out her paw to him. "I'm Trixie."_

_Tennessee took it and shook it, smiling at her. "Tennessee." Her eyes danced in the light, and he felt himself falling for her beauty._

"_I'm a little shy… I've never done this before…"_

_Unconsciously, he reached out and gripped her paw. "Hey, it's gonna be okay. I'm sure you have a lovely voice."_

_This caused the she-bear to blush and look away._

_Somewhere out in the bar, he heard Zeb whistle loudly, much to Tennessee's embarrassment._

"_Well, we got our duet singers! Let's get this going!" the bartender laughed, turning to the DJ, who then put on a familiar song on the cassette player._

_Tennessee smiled and reached for his microphone while Trixie did the same with hers. The brown bear smiled and began to sing._

_Captured effortlessly__  
that's the way it was_

_Trixie took up the words, her alto voice soft and filled with nervousness._

_Happened so naturally__  
I did not know it was love  
The next thing I felt  
Was you holding me close_

_At the last few words Trixie had sang, Tennessee had squeezed her paw, giving her strength as they went on together._

_What was I gonna do__  
I let myself go.  
And now we fly through the stars_

_I hope this night will last forever.__  
I've been waiting for you  
it's been so long_

_I knew just what I would do__  
when I heard your song.  
You filled my heart with a kiss  
you gave me freedom_

_You knew I could not resist__  
I needed someone.  
And now we're flying through the stars_

_I hope this night will last forever.__  
Ain't nobody loves me better_

_Makes me happy__  
Makes me feel this way.  
Ain't nobody loves me better (than you)._

_I wait for nighttime to come to bring you to me_

_I can't believe I'm the one__  
I was so lonely  
I feel like no one could feel  
I must be dreaming_

_I want this dream to be real__  
I need this feeling.  
I make my wish upon a star and  
hope this night will last forever._

_Ain't nobody loves me better_

_Makes me happy__  
Makes me feel this way.  
Ain't nobody loves me better (than you)._

_At first you put your arms around me__  
then you put your charms around me._

_I can't resist this sweet surrender on a night so warm and tender.__  
We stare into each other's eyes  
and what we see is no surprise_

_We've got a feeling most would treasure__  
and love so deep we cannot measure._

_Ain't nobody loves me better_

_Ain't nobody loves me better.__  
Ain't nobody loves me better_

_Ain't nobody loves me better.__  
Ain't nobody loves me better_

_Ain't nobody loves me better._

_As they finished the last verse, they were both breathing heavily and getting lost in each others' eyes. They almost didn't hear the loud roar of applause they received. They were in their own little world. The microphones went back into their stands, almost without their knowledge, as they walked off the stage holding paws._

_Without quite realizing it, they had walked out of the bar and were now strolling down the sidewalk, just looking into each other's eyes._

_Tennessee had never met someone who could sing like that and match his own voice so perfectly—other than the guys, that is. He felt his heart beating quickly against his chest plate. Without thinking about it, he leaned over and kissed her lips._

_After a moment or two, the she-bear responded to the kiss, her arms slowly wrapping around his neck._

_Well, she did respond, until she was roughly pulled away from him and he was sent to the ground, his jaw now throbbing painfully. He looked up, only to see a large panda bear with all sorts of piercings and a shaved head—honestly, who would want that?—tightly holding the she-bear's arm._

"_Stay 'way from mah gurl!" the much older panda bear spat out, his breath smelling strongly of Honey Ale. "Or I weel keel you!"_

_Tennessee blinked. "Hey, look, man! Leave her alone! She didn't do anythin'!"_

"_I do wha' I wan' wit 'er!"_

"_Derek, stop it!" Trixie cried out, her alto-like voice filled with pain. "You're hurting me!"_

"_Shut up, beetch!" the panda bear, Derek, shouted at her, slapping her across the face with his free paw before shoving her against the wall and kissing her on lips, still squeezing one of her arms. His free paw traveled down her body. "I own you!"_

_Trixie, now bleeding from a deep cut above her right eye from her boyfriend's claws, tried to get away from him, but failed. She let out a whimper and attempted to squirm away as the bear tried to spread her legs apart. "N-No…!" Tears streamed down her face as she felt him pushing his entire body against hers. "No! S-Stop!"_

_Tennessee had seen enough. With a dangerous snarl, he attacked the panda bear, tackling him to the ground. "LEAVE HER ALONE!" He beat the enemy bear multiple times, enraged at what he just about witnessed. _

_Derek finally regained his senses and punched Tennessee's jaw hard, snapping it shut, and causing the singer/thang player to fall off of him with a pained whine._

"_Wanna fight, do ya?" Derek started punching him as he climbed on top of him in order to hold Tennessee against the ground._

_Tennessee let out a shout of pain as he felt one of the panda's particularly sharp claws run down across his left eye. The blood from the cut began to stream into his eye, blinding him._

_Derek was suddenly pulled off of him and a voice called out, "Break it up!"_

_The sound of Ted Bedderhead's semi-deep voice gave Tennessee some relief as he squirmed on the ground, holding his paws against his face. A few moments later, he was being helped to sit up by Zeb, and he—after wiping most of the blood out of his eyes and pressing the cloth that the auburn bear had given him against the long cut above and below his left eye—was able to watch Ted and Fred block Derek's view of them._

_His eyes widened and he looked around frantically, trying to find the she-bear. Trixie was whimpering, kneeling on the ground, holding her coat around her tightly as tears rolled down her cheeks in torrents. Blood was still running down her golden face, matting her fur. He grunted at her, currently unable to move his jaw, and again wiped the blood out of his face._

_Zeb must've noticed his worry, because he left the thang player and cautiously approached the golden she-bear. "Miss…? Are you all right?" he asked softly._

_Trixie slowly looked up at him, before her eyes fell on Tennessee's semi-bloody form. "A-Are y-you o-okay…?" she asked softly, her voice shaking._

_He nodded._

_Zeb stood up and handed the she-bear another cloth in order to stop the blood flow from her own cut above her right eye. "I'm gonna go catch a taxi. We're goin' back to the hotel."_

"_You bettah wa'ch you back, you basta'd! I weel be back wit f'ends! And if you, T'ixie, don't p'ovide, then you p'etty lil' sistah is next!" Derek spat out before disappearing down the street._

"_Get outta here!" Fred snarled dangerously as he and Ted began to follow the panda bear down the street to make sure he left._

_Trixie's eyes widened and filled with terror. She let out a high-pitched whine._

_Tennessee slowly got up and went over to her, kneeling in front of her on unsteady legs. He gathered her in his arms, letting her cry on his shoulder._

_Ted and Fred approached them, silently taking in the two forms. "What the hell happened?" Ted asked a few minutes later, his voice shaking with anger._

_The thang player finally managed to make his jaw work, but it pained him to do so. "He… He was goin' to rape her."_

"_Who the hell is he?" Fred questioned, his tone outraged._

"_My… My boyfriend…" the she-bear whispered. _

"_What? Girl, he's way too old for you! He's like, what, twenty-four years older than you?" Zeb exclaimed as he returned, having caught the last bit of the conversation._

_Trixie whimpered. "I… I need to get out this city… Need Tasha out of here… If we have to hitch-hike, then…"_

_Tennessee shared a look with his fellow band members with his currently one good eye and saw that they were thinking the same thing as him. He looked back at the she-bear. "We're goin' to take you somewhere safe."_

"_But… But why? Why would you help me?"_

_Ted spoke up. "If there is one thin' we will not stand, it is disrespect to women."_

_"'Sides, you both need ta be looked at in a hospital," Fred put in. "Those cuts look nasty."_

_"Th-Thank you..." the she-bear said softly._

_Tennessee helped his new friend stand and slowly walked to where Zeb was standing next to a taxi he had managed to get. He had his arm wrapped around the she-bear's waist, and he didn't care about the looks he was receiving from his "brothers". All his focus was on was this scared thing._

_The driver blinked when he saw them all. "I can't take all of y'all, ya know. Four is the amount of bears I can fit."_

_Trixie sighed. "You guys go on ahead… I'll find my own way back to the apartment…"_

"_Nuh-uh," the thang player growled. "Not gonna happen. You're comin' with us."_

"_How? There isn't enough room."_

"_Uh…"_

"_Miss, if you don't mind, you're gonna have to sit on somebody's lap," Ted said softly. "It's only for a little bit, anyway."_

_Trixie's eyes widened and she backed up slightly._

_Tennessee sighed. "You guys go on ahead. I'll take Trix back to her apartment."_

**E****ND F****LASHBACK**

They had ended up taking twenty-five-year-old Trixie and her little sister, fourteen-year-old Tasha, on the rest of the tour with them and eventually they came to live at the _Hall_. Trixie even joined the band and used the money she earned to pay for Tasha's education. Helen and Henry became something like parents to the two sisters. After a few months of getting used to the idea of having the two sisters with them, Trixie and Tennessee had ended up dating. Things just progressed from there.

They never returned to Salt Lake City.

In fact, this was their first time back since that fateful meeting oh so many years ago. The only reason they had returned was because they wanted to get married in the city that had changed both of their lives forever.

The scars from the fight with Trixie's former boyfriend were hardly noticeable after a few weeks, but if one looked closely, they could still see them today. Thankfully, Tennessee hadn't lost his eye—the doctors had said that it was any deeper, he would have.

Tennessee squeezed Trixie's paw. "I do," he answered the priest.

The priest then turned to the golden she-bear. "Do you, Trixie Michelle St. Claire, take this man, Tennessee Patrick O'Neal, to be your husband, according to Ursute's holy decree? Do you promise to be to him a loving and loyal wife, to cherish and keep him in sickness and in health; and, forsaking all others, to be faithful only to him as long as you both shall live?"

Trixie smiled softly, the white of her teeth showing, as she looked into the loving light brown eyes of her fiancé. It was finally happening. She was finally marrying the bear she loved. She had waited eighteen years for this moment, and it was finally coming true.

She was forever grateful to him for how he had helped her in Salt Lake City all those years ago. And when she had found out that she was pregnant with his cub six years later, she had been overjoyed—that joy being killed when he had yelled at her for no reason, just because everyone in the band had been arguing; he had almost hit her. He had apologized, but it was too late. Her heart had been broken and she left that night, never telling him about their daughter until eleven years later.

And his proposal, albeit twelve years late—which was her fault, she knew—was beautiful…

**F****LASHBACK**

_They walked through the trees, holding paws. Both were silent, unusual for the pair of them. The last time they had been this quiet with each other was those six long months that Beary had been in a coma._

_Tonight, though, Trixie just couldn't understand the silence. Her boyfriend had been so quiet lately, and seemed to avoid her whenever she tried to go to him. It broke her heart._

_But why were they out here?_

_Trixie St. Claire looked up at the trees on that warm summer evening. She sighed softly. "Tenny, why are we out here? And why do you have Ted's guitar? I thought you couldn't play!"_

"_Ted gave me a couple lessons…" Her boyfriend of eighteen years looked at her with a soft smile. "We're here," he said finally, coming to a halt in a large meadow. There was a small creek and a large fallen tree trunk. He led her over to the trunk and asked her to sit, which she did._

"_Tenny, wha-"_

"_Shh…" He got the guitar in the ready position and began to play, singing as well._

_I did everythin' I could__  
To get you here tonight  
Without tellin'  
You why_

_Now, girl, if you only would__  
Please hold out your paw  
Just close your eyes_

_Confused, Trixie did so, holding out her right paw as she closed her eyes. The sound of the guitar stopped. She gasped when she felt his paws not holding her right paw, but her _**left**_ one. Her eyes opened wide and she saw Tennessee was down on one knee in front of her, holding out a ring; the guitar was now leaning against the tree trunk._

_I've been dyin'__  
To ask you  
One burnin' question  
Will you be mine?_

_From here to eternity__  
I'm askin' you to  
Share your life with me_

_Now and forever__  
I guarantee  
I'll always stay  
By your side._

_I promise my love__  
To you  
I'm willin' and able  
And ready to_

_Whatever you need__  
I am here for you  
And I'll always be_

_From here to eternity_

_Tears gathered in her eyes. She had waited so long for this moment. Here he was, the love of her life, kneeling before her with a gorgeous diamond ring._

_I saved a year__  
For this ring  
I can't wait to see  
How it looks on your paw_

_I'll give your everythin'__  
That one woman needs  
From a one woman man_

_I'll be strong__  
I'll be tender  
A man of my word  
I will be yours_

_She couldn't hold in the happy tears as her shoulders shook. She couldn't believe it._

_From here to eternity__  
I'm askin' you to  
Share your life with me_

_Now and forever__  
I guarantee  
I'll always stay  
By your side._

_I promise my love__  
To you  
I'm willin' and able  
And ready to_

_Whatever you need__  
I am here for you  
And I'll always be_

_From here to eternity_

_He stopped singing and looked at her with loving light brown eyes. He still held her left paw with one of his, holding the ring with his other paw. "Trixie, will you mar-"_

_Trixie didn't give him a chance to finish before she barreled him over, tackling him to the ground and kissing him. "Yes!" she cried, finally releasing the kiss._

_The brown bear laughed loudly and slipped the ring—which had surprisingly not flown out of his paw when Trixie had tackled him—over her left ring finger…_

**E****ND F****LASHBACK**

Now, they were finally going to be husband and wife, forever joined together as one—officially.

Since her father had died when she was much younger, she had had Henry give her away. He had been like a father to her, anyway. Her younger sister, Tasha, was the maid of honor and her daughter, Jewel, was the bridesmaid.

"I do," she answered.

"By the power invested in me, I now pronounce you man and wife. You may kiss the bride."

Tennessee didn't need to be told twice as he pulled his new wife into his arms and kissed her deeply. She returned the kiss with just as much passion as he gave her, wrapping her arms tightly around his neck, causing them both to fall backwards—her landing on top of him—and they nearly rolled down the steps.

They both ignored the cat calls and Zeb's shout of "Get a room!" and continued kissing.

Beary Henry Barrington Taylor looked across the aisle at his secret girlfriend of four months, Jewel Destiny Stone O'Neal, and smiled. No one had found out that the two had been secretly been dating, and they planned to keep it that way until they were sure their respective families were ready to hear about it.

Today, the golden furred she-cub looked absolutely stunning in her autumn-cherry colored dress. The dress was split down the middle from the waist down, and she had a loose black skirt on underneath. Her golden locks on the top of her head were done up in a bun and her white smile made Beary feel all warm inside.

He wanted to go over to her, pull her into his arms, and kiss her soft lips right on the spot, but didn't dare to. He knew she would kill him for blowing their secret.

Jewel caught his longing look and giggled. She mouthed "_later_" and grinned, wiggling her eyebrows, causing him to laugh as well.

She looked her boyfriend over; loving the tuxedo he was wearing. Since it had been so hot out, he had opted for not wearing the white shirt underneath his black jacket. He wore loose black pants as well. His light brown locks, now streaked with black—he had definitely surprised his family [both the Bears and Barringtons] when he and Dex had returned from the barber shop one afternoon, Dex now sporting metallic blue tips, and Beary with his black streaks—had grown out some—it now went down to his eyes—and was now currently parted in the middle, making him look like he had copied Tennessee's hairstyle.

Beary had a new walking boot on. About two months ago, he ended up breaking his leg again. He and Jewel had been messing around the Barrington house; he had tripped and went tumbling down the stairs. Now had to keep the hardware in his leg—the titanium along his tibia—in longer while the fibula healed. He was now fresh out of his cast, something he was glad of, but had to have the boot on, along with crutches, and was told not to overwork his leg and to practice his therapy exercises with an adult present in case he hurt himself.

Currently, the male cub was sitting while everyone else stood, resting his leg—Renee had told him to take it easy and not be standing long. He didn't look like he was enjoying it, either.

At least he seemed to be in no pain, something she was glad of. She hated seeing him in pain.

"I now introduce Mr. and Mrs. Tennessee O'Neal!" the priest cried out, pulling both cubs' thoughts back to the present time.

The newlyweds had finally gotten off of the ground and were now running up the aisle; both grinning like crazy as loud cheers filed the church.

Their new life had finally begun.

Book Two

Keeper of the Stars


	2. Chapter One

.~*Chapter One*~.

Beary and Jewel sat side-by-side as they ate, Beary's crutches leaning against the wall. The reception hall was packed, and people, both human and _Bears_—were talking loudly. About what, exactly, the two cubs didn't know, nor did they care as they talked quietly to each other.

"Are you sure I'm ready for this, Gem? I'm not so sure…" Beary's voice was softer than usual and tinged with slight fear that made it wobble. Over the past four months, his voice had indeed gotten much stronger, but when he would attempt to sing, it would get scratchy and hurt like hell.

He had been working on it with Jewel and Renee DeSoto—she and Johnny DeSoto had gotten married last month—for four months now, in secret. Sure, it got less scratchy and stopped hurting so much, but he couldn't help but wonder if it would fail on him. That's why he didn't let the others know about the singing practices.

He didn't want to see their disappointed expressions when it did fail.

Jewel gripped his paw under the table and squeezed it encouragingly. "C-Bear, it's going to be all right. We've been practicing. You're going to be fi-" Her eyes suddenly noticed something beyond her boyfriend's head, and widened in disbelief. "Is that **_Dex_**?"

Beary looked in the direction she was staring and his jaw dropped.

Dex was walking into the reception hall with his arm around a female's waist. The girl had shoulder-length black hair with red tips. Even from a distance, Beary could see that she had blue eyes. On her left arm was a tattooed scribbling that he could not fully make out. Her smile was wide and basically said "_I can take on anyone_". Her dress was a strapless deep red gown that faded into a white with a light red rose pattern. A white sash was wrapped around her waist along with a large white rose just below the left side of her chest. The dress ended at her ankles, revealing black-strapped lifts. On her Caucasian face, she only wore a lush, rose-colored lipstick. Her arm was wrapped around Dex's waist.

Dexter "Dex" Barrington was wearing a regular tux. His hair was as spiky as ever, except now, instead of blonde tips, he had blue. He was grinning broadly and his brown eyes were sparkling brightly. Overall, he looked rather dashing.

The couple walked towards Beary and Jewel, ignoring the shocked and surprised looks they were receiving from other wedding guests.

Someone, most likely Zeb, wolf-whistled loudly.

The female stood in front of the cubs' table and smiled at Beary. "You must be Beary. Dex talks about you a lot." She held out her hand and shook his light brown paw. "I'm Roxi. Roxi Starr." She grinned at his stunned expression. "Don't be displaced by my _sweet_ demeanor. I'm normally wilder than this." She looked at Dex with a sly grin. "Isn't that right, handsome?"

Dex blushed madly and nodded.

"Anyway, can I please go change into my jeans and tennis shoes now? You know how much I hate wearing dresses! I only wore this for my sister's wedding. And only because she paid me."

Dex laughed. "It's just for a little longer, Roxi. Surely you can last that long."

"But, Dex!" She stuck her tongue out at him.

Beary and Jewel shared a look, giggling. Finally, Beary looked up at his older brother. "Dex, when did you get a girlfriend?"

The eighteen-year-old looked at him in surprise. "I didn't tell you? Huh… I could've sworn…"

"Dexter!" Allison Barrington called, rushing over to the group with Norbert not far behind.

Dex looked at his parents, suddenly nervous. He licked his lips before finding his voice. "Um… Hi, Mom… Dad… This is… uh…" He suddenly couldn't remember her name. He was panicking now. He had forgotten that he had never introduced Roxi to his parents.

Roxi smiled. "Roxi Starr, at your service, Mrs. Barrington." She glanced at Dex. "Looks like a cat caught my boyfriend's tongue…"

The two cubs snickered.

Allison smiled slightly at the girl before looking at her son. "When were you going to tell us you got a girlfriend?"

Dex scratched the back of his head. "Uh… Right now…?" He immediately straightened. "Mom, Dad, this is my girlfriend of almost a year, Roxi Starr."

"I think they have figured out my name by now," Roxi teased, causing Dex to blush. She leaned over and kissed him on the cheek. "But it doesn't hurt to make sure."

Allison, wearing a white skirt and blue blouse, smiled again. "Hello, Roxi." She eyed the girl suspiciously, wondering just how exactly this girl acted, not to mention who she was. Was she the right choice for Dex? How long had they known each other?

"Hello, Mr. and Mrs. Barrington. Sorry we are late. My older sister had a wedding as well and we agreed to that one first… It was a town over, but…" Roxi began.

The redhead stopped her. She liked a person who was honest and didn't make ridiculous excuses. "It's all right with me, though you may want to apologize to Tennessee and Trixie."

Norbert, wearing a tux like his son and looking rather dashing in it, spoke up just then. "I am confused. Why did you decide to go to your sister's wedding, but come to the O'Neal reception?"

The teenagers glanced at the two cubs and winked. "We have our reasons," Dex answered, returning his look to his parents.

Norbert shook his head. "Come on, Ally. Let's go dance." His wife wrapped her arms around his arm and they left to head out to the dance floor.

Five-year-old Jordan Stone wandered up to the group. He immediately went over to his cousin. "When we dance?"

Jewel giggled and pointed out at the dance floor. "Jordy, there are already people dancing!"

"But I wanna dance wit yo!"

The golden she-cub blinked and grinned. "Oh, very well. Let's go dance, Jordy." She got up from the table, sparing a glance at Beary. "Stay here."

"Hey, I can't really go anywhere. Broken leg, remember?" Beary frowned, pointing at his leg, which he currently had propped up on a nearby chair. "Go have fun. I can wait."

"Beary…"

"C'mon, Jewel! Let's go!" Jordan complained, pulling his older cousin in the opposite direction, away from Beary.

The light brown twelve-year-old watched his girlfriend leave him behind and softly sighed. He picked up his glass of lemonade and took a sip.

Dex leaned over and looked at his adopted little brother. "So… When did you two start dating?" he whispered, wiggling his eyebrows.

Beary sprayed his lemonade all over his brother's face.

Roxi nearly doubled over from laughing so hard at the startled and disgusted expression on her boyfriend's face as lemonade dribbled down his chin. "You **_so_** should've seen that coming, Dex, you dork."

Beary immediately handed his older brother a napkin as he apologized several times.

The young adult, though thoroughly disgusted, couldn't help but grin as well. "Probably should have…" He wiped off his face the best he could, but it didn't do much for the stickiness. "Ah, man… I'm gonna have to go wash this off…" He looked at Roxi. "Stay here. I'll be back in a few." Turning quickly, he jogged off in search of the bathrooms.

Roxi took Jewel's seat and drummed her fingers on the table.

Beary sat nervously, every once in a while glancing at the human female. He didn't know what to say to her. He didn't know her that well, having only just met her. Finally, he sighed and looked at her. "You must be fun to hang out with."

Roxi blinked and looked at him in surprise. "What makes you think that?"

"Dex doesn't hang out with boring people. He's a-"

"Guy who knows how to have a good time," she finished. "Not to mention likes to."

Beary snickered. "Yup."

They sat in silence, neither knowing what to say after that. They hadn't expected to be left alone with each other. They didn't exactly know each other.

Finally, Roxi spoke up. "So… You're the one who brought back the _Country Bears_…"

"Yeah…"

"Could you bring back _NSYNC_? Or the _Backstreet Boys_? Or even better, the _Eagles_?"

Beary started laughing and nearly fell out of his chair doing so; Roxi grabbed his arm and hauled him back into his seat.

"Easy, kiddo," she said, grinning up a storm. "You wanna break another limb?"

"Heck no! I still can't believe I broke my leg again!" He started laughing again. "_NSYNC_? _Backstreet Boys_? I know the _Eagles_ are already back together… but those two?"

Roxi glared at him playfully. "The singers happen to be hot." She then grinned. "But they aren't as awesome as Mr. Handsome over there."

Beary looked in the direction she was looking and grinned when he saw Dex walking towards them, his face nice and clean. "Hey, Dex!" he called.

"Doofus, don't shout across the room," the eighteen-year-old laughed. "You'll draw attention to me." He pulled up a seat next to his girlfriend. "Was he being good?" he asked, grinning slyly.

"Oh, yes. He was absolutely superb. You were right, handsome. He's a real party animal," Roxi giggled, winking at Beary, who no longer seemed to be in the mood for games.

The light brown cub sighed and picked at his fish, not really hungry.

Dex reached behind Roxi and poked his brother in the arm. "Hey, what's wrong, Beary?" he asked, concerned.

Beary looked at his older human brother with a slight frown before looking at his food again. "Nothing…"

The spiky-haired teen was not to be unanswered. "Beary, don't make me call Jewel over here and have her tickle you."

The twelve-year-old looked at him, horrified. "No!" he squeaked. "No, no, no, no! Anything but **_that_**!"

Roxi and Dex shared a look before bursting into loud laughter, leaning against each other for support.

"Jerk." Beary pouted and grabbed a strawberry dipped in chocolate. He popped it into his mouth and smiled at its delicious goodness. He pointedly ignored his older brother and Roxi and went back to watching the dancing couples on the dance floor with a soft sigh.

Roxi finally stopped laughing and looked at her boyfriend's adopted little brother with a soft smile before looking out at the dance floor, spotting a familiar golden she-cub. She then leaned over and whispered into Dex's ear.

Dex nodded and watched as Roxi got up and left for the dance floor before scooting closer to his brother. "You wanna dance with Jewel, don't you," he asked softly. When Beary didn't reply, the teen sighed. "Beary, I know you two are da-"

"Shh! No one can know!" the cub hissed, glaring at him. "Not yet."

"You're gonna have to tell them sometime, you know." Dex tipped his chair back and folded his arms behind his head, glancing at his brother. "They'll figure it out eventually… Especially when you two keep holding hands—er, _paws_ under the table. If they find out before you've told them… It isn't going to be pretty."

Beary tipped his head and looked at his brother sadly. "They'll freak if they find out we're…"

"I think they'll be happy, to be honest."

"What do you mean?"

"Hey, after all the Hell you've been through… I think they'll be glad that there is something that makes you happy, Beary. Besides, I think her parents will be extremely happy to know that their daughter is with someone they both know and actually like."

The twelve-year-old blinked. "Since when are you the relationship expert?"

Dex glared at him before cuffing him over the ear, earning a grimace from the cub. "Don't even start, Doofus."

Beary grinned before looking back at his plate, picking at food once more.

The human watched him for a minute before placing a hand on his shoulder. "I'm your brother, Beary… Talk to me. I know something is bugging you."

As an answer, Beary reached into his pocket and pulled out a little bundle wrapped in a red handkerchief. He handed it to his brother. "I made her something… But I don't know when I should give it to her."

Dex unwrapped the cloth and stared at object within with wide eyes. "Beary… You made this?" he asked softly, gently touching the object. "How long have you been working on this?"

"Um… About a week. It's nothing special," he said, looking down.

"'_My Gem_'? **_That's_** not special? Beary, don't kid yourself, man. Jewel's going to love it." Dex wrapped the object back up in the handkerchief and handed the entire thing back to his younger brother. "I think you should give it to her tonight."

"That's what I was planning on doing." He sighed. "I just don't know _when_. Or… Or if it is even a good idea… I can't even dance with her, not that I know how to dance, but still…" He groaned. "This totally sucks."

The Barrington looked at the young Taylor with a small smirk. "If you will look out at the dance floor, you will see the solution to this problem."

Beary glanced back out at the dance floor and a smile crossed his face when he saw Jewel walking towards him. He then blinked and looked at Dex with confusion, only to find him gone.

"Beary."

He jumped a foot in the air and turned his neck quickly to the left, only to find Jewel standing next to him with a small smile on her face. "Jewel! Don't do that! You just about gave me a heart attack!" he cried.

She giggled and poked him in the nose. "You've been resting your leg all day. Come on. You owe me a dance."

Beary blinked. "But, I ca-" he immediately protested, but Jewel wouldn't listen as she hauled him to his feet. He fell against her, not expecting the sudden movement, but she managed to hold him up.

"Easy, C-Bear. I don't need you crushing me."

"Are you saying I'm fat?"

"No. I'm just saying that you are a bit taller than me now."

"You finally admit it!"

"Don't start, Lil' Bear."

"I won't if you don't, Gram Cracker. I **_don't_** want to dance, either," he said a bit too harshly than he meant to and not realizing just how he had worded that statement. Sure, he was lying through his teeth, but how was he going to tell her that he didn't know how to dance? He still had his pride, you know.

Jewel glared at him and removed her arms from around him, allowing him to fall back in his chair with a startled cry. "Fine. Stay here. I don't care." She walked away, seemingly heading towards the dance floor, rather upset. She didn't want him to see her tears that were now burning in her eyes. She turned away from the dance floor and started walking towards the patio.

Beary's eyes widened. He hadn't meant to hurt her feelings! "Jewel! Wait!" he called, but she didn't listen to him and kept walking away. He groaned and slammed his fist on the table before leaning down and began undoing his walking boot. He knew this was a stupid idea to do and that he would be in pain later, but right now, he had to set things straight with Jewel. Once free of the dreaded walking boot, he set it aside.

His legs shaking, he stood up, wincing as he put weight on the healing leg. He bit his lower lip to keep from crying out, and unsteadily began walking towards the patio.

He found Jewel sitting on a bench with her legs drawn up to her chest. He could see her shoulders shaking and knew immediately that he had made her cry, something that he had promised himself he would never do.

Beary hobbled on over to her, his leg beginning to throb. "Jewel?" he asked softly.

"Go a-away. I don't wa-want to talk to you."

He sighed and moved closer to her. Placing a paw on her shoulder, he whispered, "I… I didn't mean what I said. I want to dance with you. It… It's just…" He sighed and looked down.

The golden she-cub slowly lifted her head and looked at him. "Just what?" she asked through her tear-filled eyes. "I'm not good enough for you? Is that it? I… I thought… I thought you actually cared…" She started crying again.

Beary sat behind her on the bench—Jewel was sitting sideways on the bench—and wrapped his arms around her, holding her against him and not letting her escape. "Gem, I **_do_** care about you. I… I just didn't want to disappoint you."

Jewel stopped her struggles to get out of his arms and turned her head slightly. "Di-Disappoint me?" she questioned, wiping her eyes on the back of her paw. "W-What are you talking about?"

"I… I **_can't_** dance. I don't know how…"

She blinked, surprised, before giggling. "Wh-Why didn't you just say so? I can teach you!" She pulled out of his arms and turned her body to face him. She opened her mouth to say something, but paused. "Where's your boot and crutches?"

"I left them back at the table. I… I wanted to apologize…"

Her lovely eyes widened. "You… You left them behind? You wa-walked all the way out here… without them?"

Beary nodded and smiled. "Can't dance with cru-" He didn't get a chance to finish what he was saying before she kissed his lips.

Pulling away a moment later, Jewel looked into his hazel eyes. "That is the sweetest thing I have ever heard you say, Beary Henry Barrington Taylor." She suddenly grinned. "Your name is long."

He laughed. "Not as long as yours, Ms. Jewel Destiny Stone St. Claire O'Neal."

"Hm… Point taken." She leaned forward and pecked him on the lips again before sliding off the bench and standing. She held out one golden paw to him, which he took, and hauled him to his feet. "Your dancing lessons begin now." She slowly led him out to the middle of the patio and grabbed both of his paws, facing him.

Beary glanced around and his eyes focused on the dance floor just within the building door. He could hear a slow song beginning to play, and he could see just how close the couples were to each other. Suddenly nervous, he looked back at Jewel. "I don't think I can do this…"

She smiled softly. "Calm down, C-Bear. Trust me," she said as she moved his paws into place on her hips. She giggled at his freaked-out expression and wrapped her arms loosely around his neck as she scooted her body closer to his so that the fronts of their torsos were touching, as were their noses before she moved her snout to the side of his face and pressed her cheek against his.

Beary's eyes widened in shock and he began to remove his paws from her hips, but she let out a warning growl. He quickly replaced them. Feeling a bit more comfortable a few moments later, he wrapped his arms completely around her waist and held her gently against him.

"Follow my lead," she whispered into his ear as she slowly began to do the box step, taking it easy so as to not strain her boyfriend's healing leg.

_I swear, by the moon  
And the stars in the sky  
And I swear, like the shadow  
That's by your side_

Dex and Roxi were dancing slowly on the dance floor. A few moments later, Dex looked away and his eyes widened. "Look at them, Rox…" he whispered, nodding his head out the building doors.

She looked and smiled softly. "They're adorable together…" She suddenly blinked and glared at his sly expression. "Don't tell anyone I just said that."

"Oh, I won't," he grinned. "You got your bad girl reputation to think about."

Roxi kissed her boyfriend on the lips before placing her head sideways on his chest. She smiled as he rested his chin on her hair and they continued to slowly dance.

_I see the questions  
In your eyes  
I know what's weighing  
On your mind_

_You can be sure  
I know my part_

"What are you smiling at, Norbert?" Allison asked as they slowly moved to the music.

Norbert looked at his wife, still smiling. "I think our boys are growing up," he whispered.

Her eyes widened and she looked around, trying to see what he was talking about. Seeing Dex dancing with that girl—Roxi, was it?—she didn't really care about. She knew she couldn't control his life anymore. She couldn't tell him who to date. "I see Dex and Roxi, but-"

He stopped dancing and pointed at the patio doors. "Look, Ally."

She looked in the direction he was pointing and her eyes widened before filling with a few tears. "Beary's growing up way to fast…"

"He's had to," her husband answered, his voice tinged with sadness and slight fury. Fury because of the cub who's childhood innocence had been so cruelly stolen from him by two maniacs.

"Yes, I know, honey… But **_this_**?"

"Let him be happy, Ally. He needs it… Would you rather have him be sad? It's taken too long for him to come to terms with what happened. There's something he hasn't told us and he won't talk to the therapists. If Jewel can help him better than we can, then I say let bygones be bygones." Seeing her still unsure expression, he pressed his lips against her forehead. "Let them dance."

His wife sighed and nodded. "You're right. Besides, it's not like they're **_dating_**."

_Cause I stand beside you  
Through the years  
You'll only cry  
Those happy tears_

_And though I  
Make mistakes  
I'll never break  
Your heart_

Henry Dixon Taylor, wearing a light gray vest and his golden tie, watched the couples dancing with a smile on his face. He could see Dex dancing with his new girlfriend, whose name he still had yet to learn. He still couldn't believe that Dex had hidden their relationship for so long.

The dance floor had been crowded for awhile, but it had since then thinned out when the slower songs had started.

He looked around, trying to spot his wayward son who was supposed to be sitting at one of the tables. He blinked when he saw the crutches, but no Beary or Jewel. "What on Ear-" He didn't get a chance to finish the sentence before Fred spoke up.

"Isn't that Beary and Jewel?" the large dark brown bear asked, looking not at the dance floor, but out at the patio. He was actually wearing a pair of nice pants and a tux jacket, but no shirt.

Zeb Zoober, with his black jacket—but no shirt or hat or pants—and auburn fur, turned in his chair and spat out his drink in surprise when he saw the sight out on the patio. "No **_way_**!"

Jewel was now resting her head against Beary's chest, her arms tucked between her chest and his, while he rested his chin on her hair. Both had their eyes closed, but moved slowly to the sound of the music as they smiled. Beary's arms were wrapped tight around the she-cub's waist.

Henry grinned. This was the first **_real_** smile he had seen on his son's face in a long time. Beary's smiles—ever since he had fully remembered what had happened to him during the two weeks he had been kidnapped [he had fully started remembering only a month ago]—had been forced. Sure, the cub had told them most of what had happened—being left alone in the dark [he was now not a big fan of the dark and was careful to have a nightlight or some source of light with him at all times], chained and muzzled—but Henry knew he was leaving something out.

Something during those two weeks had truly terrified the twelve-year-old and had him waking up in the middle of the night, screaming and crying, begging his father to not let **_them_** take him away.

The first few nights it had happened, Henry had been scared out of his mind. The terrified screams had awoken just about everyone in the general area and, needless to say, it had horrified them to see the normally cheerful cub **_that_** scared. But, as much as they probed, they never found out what it was that Beary was so terrified of.

He wouldn't tell them what was scaring him. He wouldn't even tell his therapist.

He just kept begging them to not let "them" take him away.

Henry shook off his thoughts when Ted Bedderhead spoke.

"That's a **_real_** smile," Ted whispered, his frown turning into a smile. Like Zeb, he was wearing a black tux jacket, but he had refused to part with his beloved 60s glasses; they were the only dash of color on his black fur and black jacket.

"Haven't seen one of those in a while," Fred commented, his voice tinged with sadness.

_And I swear  
By the moon  
And the stars  
In the sky_

_I'll be there_

_I swear  
Like the shadow  
That's by  
Your side_

_I'll be there_

Henry softly sighed. "They **_do_** look happy together," he whispered, getting up and walking over to the doorway. He leaned against one of the doorframes, folded his arms across his chest, and watched his son with a happy smile.

The other four bachelors—Big Al, though staying silent, was there too—got up and followed the band manager and elder father to the doorway and stood, watching the two twelve-year-old cubs dance with smiles on their faces.

Zeb leaned over and spoke quietly to Ted. "Ten bucks says they end up together in a few years."

Ted shook the fiddler's paw. "You're on."

Fred looked at Henry. "Where's his boot and crutches?"

The elder father just shrugged.

_For better or worse  
Till death do us part  
I'll love you with  
Every beat of my heart_

_And I swear_

Trixie Michelle St. Claire O'Neal giggled as her new husband kissed her gently on the lips as they danced across the floor. "Dejlig Baere, not here. We'll have plenty of time for **_that_** on our honeymoon." The name "Dejlig Baere" was Danish and something her father had once called her. It meant "Lovely Bear". He had always said that she would grow to be a beautiful she-bear.

Tennessee looked at her and grinned, wild passion clearly seen in his light brown eyes. "Just you, me, and two months in Alaska," he purred, stroking her arm.

The golden she-bear laughed. "I'm looking forward to waking up in bed with you."

"Same he-" the brown bear paused and his eyes widened in surprise. He stopped dancing and just stared out at the patio doors with shock.

_I'll give you  
Every thing I can  
I'll build your dreams  
With these two hands_

_We'll hang  
Some memories  
On the wall_

Trixie looked in the direction her mate was, and smiled. "Well, I'll be…"

Tennessee felt a pang in his gut at the sight of his daughter dancing. He had seen the two cubs play and hang out together—not so much recently due to Beary's nightmares and his refusal to be close to anyone—but seeing them **_dancing_** so closely together… He wasn't ready for it.

His new bride must've felt his tension, because she removed one of her arms and used her paw to turn his head towards her. "Tenny, look at me. Did you see their smiles? They were **_real_**, Dejlig Baere. Don't spoil the peace both of them are feeling. Let them have their moment while they're still cubs."

The thang player frowned playfully. "When did you get smarter than me?"

The she-bear grinned. "Oh, I don't know if I should answer that question."

_And when (and when)  
Just the two of us  
Are there_

_You won't have to ask  
If I still care  
Cause as the time  
Turns the page_

_My love won't  
Age at all_

"I told you they would end up together," Tasha Stone commented. She was wearing an ankle-length, golden red robe, open in front, a black skirt. It contrasted deeply with her black fur, but it was the only thing she could wear. She was five months pregnant and both she and James were super excited.

"Who? Beary and Jewel or Tennessee and Trixie?" James questioned, amused. He, too, was watching the two cubs dance out on the patio.

"Both. But the cubs aren't going to realize their feelings for each other until they're older." She grinned and placed a paw on her large belly, feeling the baby kick.

James, too, placed a paw on his wife's oversized belly and smiled when he felt his future son or daughter kick again. "Our little Aaron or Erin," he said softly, leaning over and kissing his wife on the lips. "Either way, he or she is going to act just like his or her mother."

"You know it."

_And I swear (I swear)  
By the moon and the stars  
In the sky  
I'll be there (I'll be there)_

_I swear (and I swear)  
Like the shadow  
That's by your side  
I'll be there (I'll be there)_

_For better or worse  
Till death do us part  
I'll love you with  
Every beat of my heart_

_And I swear_

For the first time in months, he was at peace. For the first time in months, he felt safe from his demons. Holding her in his arms made him feel secure and happier than he had been when the two of them had gotten together and became a couple; albeit a _secret_ couple, but a couple nonetheless.

Dancing was easier than he thought it would be. He was glad that Jewel had taught him, even if his throbbing leg wasn't feeling the same way.

Their heads were now side-by-side, their left cheeks touching. Both of them were smiling and their eyes were closed as they moved with the music.

"Thank you," he whispered softly as a single tear trickled down his cheek. "Thank you for everything, Gem…"

_And I swear (I swear)  
By the moon and the stars  
In the sky  
I'll be there (I'll be there)_

_I swear (and I swear)  
Like the shadow  
That's by your side  
I'll be there (I'll be there)_

_For better or worse  
Till death do us part  
I'll love you with  
Every beat of my heart_

_I swear_

She smiled softly. Inside, she was warm and bubbling with happiness. She had **_never_** felt this way before; not even when he had kissed her for the first time. She was in total ecstasy.

_I swear_

Feeling his tension ease brought joy to her heart. She knew about the nightmares. How could she not? She knew the fear he felt; even though Beary didn't show it, she could feel it radiate off of him whenever they were together. If filled her with joy to know that she could help him be rid of them, even if it was for only a little while.

Dancing with him felt so natural… So **_innocent_** and carefree. It was as if they were lighter than air and floating through the heavens.

Hearing Beary whisper a "thank you" made a tear roll down her cheek. "You're welcome," she whispered back.

_I swear_

They both ignored the fact that the song had ended and continued dancing together under the stars.

They were together. That's all that mattered.

For a moment, they moved their heads apart and just looked into each others' eyes as they continued to move. They forgot where they were, and they forgot about keeping their secret relationship. They were lost in each other's eyes, which glittered in the starlight. The moment was too magical to pass up.

Beary removed his right paw from her waist and placed it on her cheek, stroking the soft fur with his thumb. He then leaned his head towards hers, almost cautiously, and rubbed his nose against hers before gently kissing her on the lips. Jewel returned the kiss almost immediately, wrapping her arms around his neck. Both of their eyes closed as their figures were illuminated by the moonlight. Neither removed their lips from the other.

Neither of them noticed the large group of people, both humans and bears, watching them in shock from the doorway.

_.~*~._

Everyone who was standing in the doorway—the group had doubled in size and now included Tasha and James, Trixie and Tennessee, Allison and Norbert, and Roxi and Dex—let their jaws drop as they witnessed what they thought was the first kiss the two cubs had shared.

Tennessee's pang in his gut grew. He couldn't believe what he was seeing. His baby girl, whom he had only known for about a year and a half, was _kissing _someone. If his wife hadn't been holding him back, he would've marched right out to the two cubs and pulled Beary away from his daughter.

Trixie's eyes were filled with tears as she held her new husband back. She, along with the other females, knew that the two twelve-year-olds had feelings for each other, but she didn't expect them to show so _fast_! It was shocking, to say the least.

Dex looked at Roxi with a small smile, silently communicating with her. She nodded and leaned her head against his shoulder as he wrapped his arm more tightly around her shoulders.

Allison and Norbert were in shock. They, like Trixie, Tasha, and James, all knew about the cubs' growing feelings. But _this_? And this **_soon_**? It was **_unreal_**. They were only **_twelve_** for Pete's sake!

Ted, grumbling, fished into his pocket and pulled out ten bucks and handed it to Zeb. Fred was blubbering up a storm. None of the three bachelors could believe that their youngest member had grown up so much that he now had a girlfriend. Beary was younger than them—he was only twelve!—and he had just had his first kiss!

Al "Big Al" Hathworth shared a small grin with his brother-in-law. "Well, it's 'bout time them two got together," he grinned. Henry nodded in agreement. His little boy was growing up.

Zeb, happy that he now had ten extra dollars, decided to have some fun with the two cubs and let out a loud wolf-whistle. "Yeah! Go Beary!" He didn't expect the results, however. If he had, he would've saved them all a lot of grief.

Beary and Jewel let out startled cries and broke away from each other. Beary lost his balance and toppled backwards against the bench, twisting his left leg painfully as he tried to prevent his fall. He let out a pained shout as tears of pain sprung to his eyes.


	3. Chapter Two

.~*Chapter Two*~.

"Beary, I've said I'm _sorry_ a million times!"

The twelve-year-old _Country Bear_ refused to look at the fiddler or even acknowledge his presence, even though Zeb was kneeling in front of him and looking at him with pleading forest green eyes.

Sitting next to Beary on his left side and holding his paw was Jewel, who giggled. "Beary, it was an accident."

"They were spying on us!" Beary growled, his aching leg getting the better of his temper. Who could blame him? He now was not allowed to get up and walk around, even _with_ his crutches and walking boot! He had to keep his leg propped up on a chair at all times with a couple ice packs lying across it, all because it had swollen quite a bit.

Not only that, but now he and Jewel were being watched by just about every adult in the reception hall. No matter which direction they looked, a pair of eyes was following their every move.

Their respective parents had told them that later that night, they would be given "the talk", something they were **_not_** looking forward to. If it was as embarrassing as Dex said it would be, then they would probably die of humiliation.

Both of the cubs were fuming about letting their secret slip. Well, actually, everyone thought that the kiss they had seen had been Beary and Jewel's **_first_**; they still didn't know that the cubs had actually been dating for four months, something that Beary and Jewel weren't too eager to explain.

Dex and Roxi kept the cubs' secret, too. They weren't about to get Beary and Jewel into trouble. Well that, and the fact that Beary blackmailed his older brother, threatening to tell Allison and Norbert about Dex's hacking skills.

"We were not!" Zeb complained. "We thought it was cute to watch you two dancin'! We didn't expect you to kiss!"

Beary once again refused to acknowledge him.

"Give it up, Zeb," Ted said. "He's not goin' to talk to you, ya know."

The fiddler sighed and stood up. "Fine. You talk to him."

A low growl coming from Beary's throat caused Ted to take a few steps back. "Uh… No, no. I'll, uh, go and see how, uh, Fred's doin'." The black bear quickly scurried off.

Zeb, hearing the growl from the cub, finally took the hint and left the two cubs alone.

Beary looked down at his plate. "I shouldn't have kissed you," he said softly, shifting his position slightly.

"Beary… Look at me," Jewel said, using her free paw to force her boyfriend's head to turn and look at her. "They would've found out eventually. We couldn't keep it a secret forever."

"Yeah, but…" He looked down, but was forced to look up once again when Jewel caught his lips with her own. A soft sigh escaped him as his free paw found her cheek and his eyes closed. It was as if he was in his own little world.

There was another wolf-whistle from somewhere else in the hall.

"Jewel!" Tennessee called from somewhere across the room. His voice sounded both anxious and slightly angered.

Jewel removed her lips from Beary's and looked in the direction that her father was calling from. She saw him gesturing to her from the giant wedding cake and frowned before looking at Beary sadly. "Sorry, C-Bear. I gotta go. But I'll be back soon! I'll bring you some cake!" She leaned over and kissed his cheek before getting up and joining her parents by the cake table.

Beary watched her go, still feeling her lingering touch on his cheek and lips. He softly sighed and rested his left elbow on the table, leaning his head against his paw. With his right paw, he picked up his fork and spun it around lazily.

He didn't even notice his father sitting down next to him, taking Jewel's seat, until the elder bear spoke. "She's a good choice, you know," Henry said softly.

Beary jumped and dropped his fork in surprise. It clattered loudly on the plate, causing his ears to flatten at the painful noise. He twisted his upper body slightly and looked at his father. "You're not going to give me the… **_talk_**… are you?" he asked cautiously.

Henry chuckled. "No. Your adopted parents wanted to be here for **_that_**." He laughed again when Beary slammed his forehead down on the table in exasperation and groaned.

"Great…" the cub complained.

The fifty-one-year-old placed a paw on his son's shoulder and gently squeezed. "You know, it was at a wedding reception that I first kissed your mother," he said softly, looking dreamily around the reception hall as millions of memories filled his mind.

The twelve-year-old lifted his head off the table and looked at his father in surprise. It was rare that Henry even brought up the topic of Helen Taylor, the mother that Beary barely remembered. "Huh?"

The pepper furred bear, whose fur now contained more silver than brown, looked at his son with a soft smile. "Yup. It's true, kiddo. I met your mother thirty-two years ago at a wedding. Actually, we had our first kiss while dancing, too. Seeing you with Jewel… Well, that's just the way we danced, too… Out under the stars." His smile spread to his entire face. "You act so much like her… She's the one who initiated the kiss first, in just the way you did with Jewel."

Beary blinked and looked at him in surprise, warmth spreading under his fur. "I still can't believe you all saw that…"

Henry chuckled. "Hey, you're growing up. It's only natural that…" He broke off. "I better stop now before I **_do_** end up giving you **_that_** speech."

Beary snickered for a couple moments before sighing and looking back at his plate sadly. "Tennessee's not gonna let me near her, now…"

"Oh, I wouldn't say that, kiddo."

"You saw his expression!"

"I think he was just surprised. Really, _really_ surprised. We all were."

The cub sighed, folded his arms on the table, and rested his chin on them.

Henry squeezed his shoulder again. "We all knew it would happen eventually, son. We could all see your feelings for each other growing. It's just… we thought we still had a few years before they fully surfaced."

Beary tilted his head and looked at his father again. "Hey, uh, Dad… What… What would you do or say… If I told you that that wasn't mine and Jewel's first kiss?"

The elder bear's eyes widen and his jaw dropped slightly. "S-Say what?"

The cub sighed. "We've been dating for four months… Since May 29th…"

Henry didn't say anything for a long time, causing the cub to wonder if he was about to be grounded. Finally, Henry spoke again, and what he said surprised Beary. "Well… That explains a lot… I mean, you two were always together and one time, I could've sworn I saw the pair of you holding paws." He grinned. "Well, at least it's _you_ dating her. I don't think Tennessee could handle it if his daughter was dating someone he didn't know."

"I'll be lucky if he doesn't kill me," Beary muttered, looking straight ahead again.

"Oh, I doubt that, Beary. He wouldn't kill someone that makes his daughter so happy."

Beary didn't get a chance to comment before he heard Jewel speak.

"I brought cake!" the she-cub grinned, holding two plates that each had a piece of cake on it.

Henry got up. "I'll leave you two alone." With that, he wandered off.

Jewel sat back down on her chair and set a plate in front of Beary. "Dig in, C-Bear!" she giggled, immediately grabbing a fork and stabbing her piece of cake with it.

Beary grinned at her for a moment before reaching into his pocket and pulling out the handkerchief. He gripped it tightly before opening it and taking out the object. This was the time; everyone in the hall was in line for cake in ice cream and no one was paying attention to them-at least, he hoped they weren't. "Uh… Jewel?" he asked, his voice shaking.

The golden she-cub looked at him, hearing the nervousness in his voice. "Hm?"

"T-Turn around. I… I have something for you."

Jewel did so, completely confused. Her eyes widened when she felt his arms on either side of her neck, his paws clasping together in front of her. "Beary, what are you-" her speech was cut off when his paws separated, revealing a leather and pewter necklace. Her heart beat quickly against her chest when she saw the words engraved in the pendent.

'_My Gem_'

"Beary…" she whispered as he finished tying the necklace around her neck. "It's **_beautiful_**!" she practically cried, turning around in her seat and giving him a hug. Fortunately, everyone had been too distracted by cake and ice cream to have seen the giving of the gift.

He wrapped his arms around her as well. That was **_definitely_** a load off his chest.

_.~*~._

Almost an hour had passed since the giving of the gift. Beary had gotten restless and was tired of being stuck in his chair. He had, with Jewel's help, decided to walk back out onto the patio with the help of the crutches. Sure, the adults had tried to stop them, but Beary wasn't in the mood to listen.

So here they sat out under the stars once more. Their backs were to each other—they were sharing the bench and had their backs pressed against each other—and both were looking up at the stars; the back of their heads resting on each other's shoulder so that their cheeks were touching. Jewel's legs were drawn up her chest while only Beary's right leg was pulled up his chest, his left leg dangling off the bench. His crutches were lying on the ground, as was his walking boot—he wasn't in the mood to wear it.

"So beautiful tonight," Jewel whispered, gently rubbing her cheek against his.

"You or the stars?"

Jewel blinked and giggled. She playfully pressed her snout against his ear. "C-Bear, you are adorable."

He looked into her left eye with his left one—those were the parts of their faces that were next to each other—and was about to speak, but the chance was taken from him when a semi-shrill voice interrupted them.

"Trixie, you've gotten smaller!"

Both cubs jumped and nearly fell off the bench in surprise. They lifted their heads away from each other and looked around, only to see a black she-bear with blue eyes stalking towards them with an angry expression. She came right up to Jewel, who could smell Honey Ale on her breath, and snarled, "And **_why_** wasn't I invited to ya weddin'?"

Jewel looked at Beary, surprised and confused. She scrunched up her nose, hating the smell of Honey Ale. "**_Our_** wedding?" she questioned, blushing slightly under her fur.

"I had ta found out in a newspaper! How **_dare_** ya!" the she-bear slurred. "I raise ya right and ya couldn't be bothered ta-" she paused and looked the golden she-cub over. "Wha kind of weddin' dress is **_that_**?"

"Uh… I think you're confused," Beary said as he gripped Jewel's paw and began to stand, only to be shoved back down by the angry she-bear. "Hey!"

"You don't tink I don't know mah own **_daughter_**, young man? Who the **_hell_** do ya tink ya are? Ya can't be the **_charmin_**' and **_brilliant_** Tennessee. Ya certainly ain't smart-like."

The light brown cub was stricken with surprise and confusion.

Jewel, on the other hand—or paw, as the case may be—was furious. "I think the real question is who the heck are you?" she snarled. "Don't you go speaking bad about my father!"

"Ya fazer," the she-bear spat, "died a long time ago, Trixie St. Claire!"

"My name is Jewel O'Neal! My **_mother_** is Trixie St. Claire O'Neal and my **_father_** is Tennessee O'Neal! Don't talk about them like that!"

The black furred bear looked at her in surprise before her icy blue eyes—dulled by the effects of heavy drinking—filled with scorn and distaste. "So **_yar_** the **_bastard_** cub I've heard so much about," she scoffed. "Oh, yes. The tabloids have been very intahrested in the bastard cub of the St. Claire family line. I'm extremely disappointed in mah daughter. I **_never_** would've imagined that she would let that dirt-bag have his way with her and then bear his bastard cub!" She suddenly stopped when a paw connected to her jaw, hitting her with a semi-vicious slap.

Beary retracted his paw back to his side, still glaring angrily at the black bear. Almost silently, he growled, "Don't you **_ever_** call her that again."

Surprisingly, the she-bear just nodded.

"Beary!" Henry immediately chastised from the doorway. He hadn't heard what the she-bear had said; he had only seen his son hit her. "Apologize this instant!" He was **_furious_**.

The argument had drawn the attention of the other wedding guests, who were now gathering at the doorway.

The light brown cub continued glaring at the stunned she-bear and snarled. "**_No_**."

"What on Earth has gotten into you?" Allison cried out, her voice filled with anger.

"Actually, Mrs. Barrington," Roxi began, her voice shaking with fury as she drew everyone's attention to her—she was standing on the opposite side of the patio, away from Beary and Jewel. "If he hadn't hit her, **_I_** would have. She pissed me off, too."

"He was just defending Jewel," Dex stated. "I don't blame him at all. I'm just surprised he didn't do it sooner." He looked back at the bench where he had last seen his younger brother, only to have his eyes widen in disbelief.

Beary and Jewel were gone. Beary's walking boot and crutches were lying abandoned next to the bench.

_.~*The Country Bears*~._

Beary, limping heavily and wincing with every step, found Jewel sitting on one of the swings on a playground that was near the building. Tears were rolling down her cheeks as she slowly swung back and forth, her feet never leaving the ground. The hems of her dress and skirt was brushing against the dirty ground, but the she-cub didn't seem to care.

He slowly limped over to her and sat on the other swing next to her. He didn't speak for a few minutes as he gathered his thoughts. "Jewel, I know **_exactly_** how you feel. Believe me, I do," he said softly.

She looked at him in confusion. "How c-could you **_p-possibly_** k-know how I'm f-feeling ab-about be-being called a… a…" she broke down into tears again.

"A bastard? I've been called that for a while. I have ears, ya know."

Jewel raised her head and looked at him again. "Huh?"

Beary looked at the ground sadly. "How else would a bear cub end up with a family of humans, unless his mother didn't want him and he had no father?" He closed his eyes, trying to block out the painful memories of being teased and scorned by his fellow students and even some teachers whenever Jewel hadn't been there. "W-When I found out what the word meant, I was confused. I never had really given any thought to whether my adopted parents really _were_ my parents. I… I started noticing differences… I started believing what I heard. I started wondering why my birth parents didn't want me." His shoulders shook as a few tears rolled down his cheeks. "I've put up with the scorn and ridicule for **_years_**, Gem. Believe me when I say I know _exactly_ how you feel."

Her eyes widened in disbelief. "Beary…"

He sniffled and wiped his eyes. "I don't care about it anymore." He looked back at her. "The point is that you have two parents who love you. It doesn't matter if they were married or not when you were born. You were **_not_** unwanted. So, you are **_not_** a-" he couldn't finish as she leaned over and pressed her lips against his.

"Th-Thanks, C-Bear," the she-cub whispered after breaking the kiss a minute later. "But let's not say that foul word anymore."

He put a paw on her cheek and leaned towards her, kissing her again. He felt her arms go around his neck and pull him even closer as she returned the kiss. His paws moved from her face to her back and he ran them up and down her spine. They were already leaning forward in the swings, so Jewel decided to take it a little further and fell forward, lying on her back on the ground. Beary fell almost all the way on top of her—only his legs were not on her—his arms moving from around her to either side of her face. Her fingers were tangled in his soft hair as she continued to hold his head down, keeping his mouth locked with hers.

Without realizing what he was doing, Beary began to shift positions, lifting one leg and having it come to rest on the other side of her legs—which were pressed together—until he was pretty much covering her entire body with his own.

Jewel kept one paw on the back of his head as the other moved under his jacket and she began running her claws up and down his back as she ground her hips into his. She deepened the kisses, making them harder and needier.

Beary returned the kisses with just as much intensity as she was giving him, paws moved up and down her body. A low moan escaped his lips.

They were so preoccupied with their make out session that they didn't hear anyone arrive until a large pair of brown paws yanked Beary off of Jewel and practically tossed him aside. Beary went rolling until he hit the pole for the swing set with a pained cry. He lay, stunned, on his side.

"**_Beary_**!" both Henry and Jewel cried.

"Stay **_away_** from my daughter you pervert!" Tennessee snarled dangerously, his eyes full of rage.

"Daddy, stop! He didn't do anything!" Jewel cried, immediately getting up and grabbing her father's arm before he could attack her boyfriend.

Henry stood in front of his son in a protective position. "Tennessee, don't do this."

The brown bear snarled at him before looking at his daughter. "You're grounded, young lady. You aren't allowed to talk to him or go near him from now on," he growled. Jewel started crying and Tennessee gripped her arm. He looked back at the downed cub, who was now attempting to sit up with his father's help. "And **_you_**… If you come near my daughter again, I'll-"

"Tennessee! **_Enough_**!"

Everyone turned and looked at the approaching figure of Trixie. She walked right up to them and stood between the two O'Neals and the two Taylors. "Tenny, they're young and don't know what they aren't supposed to do."

"They aren't supposed to be all over each other, Trix! They're only **_twelve_**! They shouldn't even be kissin'!" Tennessee complained. "They're too young!"

"I know that, Tenny. I **_do_**. I don't exactly agree with it, but there's nothing we can do about it." She sighed. "They just got caught up in the moment. The last few hours have been a bit emotional." Trixie then turned her back to her husband and looked at Beary, who was grimacing. "Are you okay, kiddo?"

"**_Trixie!_**"

She turned her head and glared at her husband. "Be quiet. You forget that he just defended your daughter!" she snapped.

"That doesn't excu-"

"I'm sorry."

Tennessee blinked and looked at Beary in surprise. "What did you just-"

Beary finished sitting up and looked at the brown bear. "I'm sorry. I… I shouldn't have kissed her."

Jewel whimpered. "I kissed him, first… I pulled him down…"

The brown bear looked at his daughter. "Don't go makin' excuses for _his_ actions, Jewel. What he did was wrong and you know it! He was tryin' to take advantage of you and-" he broke off with a dangerous snarl that he aimed at Beary. "If I hadn't arrived when I did, they probably would've started bon-"

"They're only **_twelve_**, Tennessee!" Henry growled. "They don't know about any of that stuff! That's why we're going to explain it to them later on!"

Beary and Jewel blinked and looked at each other in confusion.

"Then what have they been doin' when they've disappeared over the past few weeks? Doin' more of thi-"

"We've been working on your wedding gift!" Jewel screeched, pulling out of her father's grip and glaring angrily at him.

Her father blinked. "Huh?"

Beary looked at him. "We… We were writing a song…" he whispered. "For you… and Trixie…"

All three adults looked at each other in surprise before looking at the two cubs. Trixie, after a few silent moments, looked at her husband. "Tenny, take Jewel for a walk. I want to talk to Beary."

Tennessee grudgingly nodded and looked at his daughter. "Jewel? Will… Will you go with your old man on a walk?" he asked, keeping his voice soft after all his growling.

The young she-cub looked at her father, mother, Henry, and then at Beary before nodding. "**_Fine_**." Without waiting for him, she started walking quickly away, disappearing into the night almost immediately.

"Jewel!" the thang player cried as he ran to catch up with his upset daughter.

Trixie shook her head and looked back at Henry and Beary, staying silent as Henry tried to communicate with his son.

Henry looked at his son, the anger he had felt earlier, gone. He couldn't believe he had practically chewed out his son for defending his friend. Sure, he didn't exactly agree with the method Beary had chosen, but he was proud of him. That pride, however, had almost completely disappeared when he and Tennessee had walked up on Beary and Jewel's make-out session. He certainly hadn't expected them to be doing **_that_**. "Beary…" he began.

Beary looked at the ground, ignoring his father.

Henry sighed and got down on one knee, placing a paw on his son's shoulder. "Kiddo, Dex and Roxi told us what happened. I… I'm sorry for shouting at you. I know now you were just defending Jewel."

"It doesn't matter," the cub replied softly. "I don't care."

"Beary, I know for a fact that you **_do_** care."

"I can't ever talk to Jewel again, Dad… It doesn't matter anymore."

Trixie finally decided to speak up. "Oh, I wouldn't quite say that, kiddo. Once Tennessee calms down, he'll become a big, cuddly softie again. He was just surprised to see his little girl is growing up."

Beary shook his head and drew his right knee up to his chest; his left leg remained stretched out in front of him, throbbing painfully. He placed the bridge of his snout—the part of his snout that connected to the rest of his face-on his knee. Finally, he spoke again. "S-She made me mad… I… I couldn't control my anger…"

Henry glanced up at the golden she-bear with confusion. A few minutes later, he realized who and what his young son was talking about and looked back at his son. "If I heard someone say the things she said to **_my_** best friend, I would've done the same thing as you." He gently squeezed Beary's shoulder.

The downcast twelve-year-old cub looked up at him, his eyes filled with tears but his expression surprised. "Huh? Y-You w-would?"

The father nodded. "I certainly would. I'm **_very_** loyal to my friends and family. No one messes with them." His hazel eyes were full of sincerity. "I'm proud to say that you are just as loyal."

Beary grinned slightly. "So… You r-really aren't mad?"

"Well, I _am_ a bit upset that you hit her, but I understand why you did so."

The cub sighed before looking at Trixie. "A-Are you mad?"

"No, I'm not mad," the she-bear answered softly. "Actually, I'm impressed." She laughed at his confused expression. "My mother started drinking a **_long_** time ago, kiddo. She was, and still is, saying things she shouldn't and it made me hate her for it. That's why I didn't invite her to my wedding. I knew she would find some reason—**_any_** reason—to criticize me and Tasha…" She broke off and sighed. "What you did took guts, Beary Barrington Taylor. Not many people would stand up to Judith St. Claire; especially at the age of twelve. You have more spunk in you than Tasha and I ever did, and I'm **_proud_** that you defended Jewel when I couldn't." She got down on one knee and kissed the stunned cub on the forehead. "You have my thanks, and Tenny's, though he may not admit it."

Beary blushed under his fur and smiled. "You're welcome."

Trixie O'Neal held out her paw to him. "Now, let's go back to the reception. I don't know about you, but I'm still hungry."

Beary, laughing, took her paw and—with both Trixie's and Henry's help—carefully stood up. He had one arm around his father's waist and the other around Trixie's as he hobbled back to the building, not using his left leg. It wasn't just his leg that was bothering him this time, either; his back was throbbing, too.

_.~*The Country Bears*~._

Jewel and Tennessee were out on the patio, talking quietly on a bench. They both looked up when they saw the trio coming.

Tennessee was regretful for what he had done to the boy he had "adopted" as a family member two years ago. He couldn't believe that he had let his temper get the better of him, especially since it wasn't even Beary's fault!

Jewel had explained what had happened, and now Tennessee couldn't believe how wrong he had been about the young male cub. He had made an assumption, and it had been wrong. The two cubs really **_had_** just gotten caught up in the moment.

'_The kid's never gonna talk to me again…_' he thought sadly, watching as Henry, Beary, and Trixie made their way past the duo. He could see Beary hobbling along, in a lot a pain; it was obvious that when he had thrown the cub, he had hurt him even more. '_Oh, Ursute, Beary… I'm so sorry…_'

Almost as if the cub had heard his silent apology, Beary looked back at him before looking at the two adults he was with and asking them something. They nodded and looked back at the two bears.

Tennessee's light brown eyes widened when the trio turned away from the doorway and came towards him and Jewel.

"Jewel, sweetie, could you come inside with me?" Trixie asked her daughter.

Jewel nodded and got up, letting Beary be lowered down on the spot she had been just a moment before.

Trixie eyed her husband. "Be nice, Tenny," she said before placing a paw on her daughter's back and leading her inside.

Henry watched his son and the thang player for a moment, his expression slightly distrustful, before he, too, went inside the building.

The young cub and the older bear sat in silence for the first few minutes, both unsure of what to say to one another. They looked in opposite directions: Beary tilted his head back and looked up at the starry sky while Tennessee leaned forward and looked at the ground.

"You better take care of her," the thang player finally said, not looking up. "You break her heart or hurt her in **_any_** way, and I'll come after you. You make her do anything she doesn't want to do and there won't be a damn place you can hide."

Beary blinked and tilted his head back up and looked at him. "I know," he said sincerely. "I will **_never_** let anything happen to her, Tennessee. I **_promise_**. And yes, I know. No more... making out until we're older. I **_swear_**."

Tennessee sat back and looked him in the eyes. Finally deciding that Beary's promise that no harm would come to Jewel and that he wouldn't take advantage of her was real, he nodded. "Good." He then looked at Beary's leg. "How's your leg doin'?"

"Well… I won't be dancing any time soon."

"No, I don't think you will be, either…" The father sighed. "She'll be disappointed, I think." He looked back up at the cub's downcast expression. "Listen, Beary… I… I'm sorry… for how I acted. I never should ha-"

"It's okay."

Tennessee blinked, surprised, and looked at the cub that was now looking back up at the stars. "It was wro-"

"I said it was okay, Tennessee. If I had been in your place…" The cub broke off and put a paw on the side of his head, groaning softly.

"Beary, are you okay?"

"Headache." He winced and shook his head as if trying to clear it.

Tennessee got off the bench and knelt in front of the twelve-year-old, looking at Beary's face with worry. "Did you take your medicine?"

Beary could only nod slowly.

The brown bear could only watch helplessly as the cub seemed to space out, not hearing his soothing words. It was almost two minutes later that Beary blinked and looked at him in confusion.

"W-What are you…" His eyelids drooped and he began to lean towards the side.

Tennessee got up and sat back down next to the cub, letting Beary lean against him. He placed an arm around Beary's shoulders; his anger at what had happened earlier was nothing compared to how worried he was about the cub now. Like the others, he knew all about Beary's seizures and how tired they made him, even if the seizure was a minor one like this one. "Easy, kid," he said softly, rubbing his arm. "Rest…"

He didn't need to say it, because within moments, Beary was softly snoring.

_.~*The Country Bears*~._

"We have to wait until he is alone," she whispered to her partner as she watched their target through her HD binoculars. Zooming in on the two bears sitting on the bench, she frowned. "Our target doesn't seem to be well."

"Not our problem. We were paid to take him and his little girlfriend and give them to Derek. What Derek makes them do isn't up to us. If that _boy_ is damaged, then it becomes Derek's problem. We're just the delivery boys."

"I'm a woman, you idiot."

"Same thin'."

"Do you need another health lesson?"

"Hm… You offerin'?"

She smacked him upside the head. "You're lucky I don't just shoot you."

"I was just kiddin'!" He turned his gaze back to two bears. "Anyway, we don't have time for any of your _lessons_. We have a deadline to meet. If we don't get them delivered on time, it will be our asses on the line. We won't be useful anymore and they'll get rid of us."

"True. Hm… What you think? They goin' to be on market or goin' to be breeders? I know Derek's been looking for a couple of new breeders to replace him. He's retiring."

"Get out. Seriously? That ol' bastard is finally retirin'?"

"Yup. Well, from breedin'. Though, I think he might make an exception for that pretty lil' she-cub."

"She looks just like that broad that ran away from him years ago… What was her name?"

"Trixie?"

"Yeah! Man, she was a looker."

"You're a human," she pointed out.

"Doesn't mean I couldn't have had any fun with her once the boss-man was finished with her."

She just shook her head. "Disgusting."

"You know… That older bear, there, looks mighty familiar… Holy crap! That's the guy that took out Derek eighteen years ago! He's the one who took Trixie! And from the looks of it, he just got married to her!"

"Then that means… That little she-cub is Trixie's daughter…" She cackled. "Oh, we're goin' to be handsomely rewarded for this."

"Hoo-rah."

They fell silent for a few minutes, just thinking of the bounty they were about to receive for giving their boss his enemy's daughter.

"So, when shall we nab them?" the female human asked after a few minutes.

"Tonight, if the opportunity presents itself. Is our spy in place?"

"Yup. She knows what to do."

"Good." He let out a sigh. "It's a pity she has to die. She was such a good slave, too… Never failed to please me."

"I don't need to hear your bedroom details. I still can't believe she fell for your false promise of setting her free if she did what you asked."

"Oh, I didn't lie. She'll be free, all right. In death."


	4. Chapter Three

.~*Chapter Three*~.

"Pwesent time! Pwesent time!" five-year-old Jordan Stone shouted as he ran back and forth between the present table and Trixie, ignoring the loud chuckles he received.

Tasha Stone grinned as she watched her son scurry about, immensely amused. It was good to see that everyone was happy again, almost as if that incident with Judith St. Claire never happened. Tasha, herself, had been most displeased that her mother had shown up in her usual drunken state and had nearly ruined her sister's wedding day. However, Beary Taylor had straightened the elder she-bear out, and James had taken her back to her apartment twenty-five minutes ago.

Either way, the wedding reception was back in full swing.

She sighed happily and looked back out at the patio from where she sat at a table. She could see her brother-in-law sitting next to Beary, who appeared to be sleeping and using Tennessee as a pillow. She blinked. '_Sleeping? Now?_' she wondered in confusion.

Tennessee noticed her gaze and nodded to her, using one of his paws to beckon her. She sighed and got up, wincing at the kick she received from her unborn cub. "Easy, little one," she mumbled, placing a paw on her belly.

Practically waddling, she made her way out to the two brown bears. "What happened?" she asked, sitting on Beary's other side. "He didn't have a seizure, did he?"

"Yeah," the older brown bear said, shifting his arm slightly so that Beary was more comfortable. "He had a headache and then completely spaced out for about two minutes."

"When was this?" she questioned as she began to carefully check the sleeping cub's vitals.

"About… five minutes ago, I believe. Don't know for sure; I don't have my watch."

Tasha raised an eyebrow at him and shook her head in exasperation. "You don't **_own_** a watch, Tennessee."

He stroked his chin and grinned. "True enough."

"His vitals are already almost normal. I think this new medication that Renee gave him is almost perfect. Perhaps he just needs a stronger dose to completely prevent the seizures."

"I hope so," Tennessee said softly, glancing down at Beary. "We better get back inside. I'm sure there's a couch or somethin' he can sleep on."

"Yeah. That's sounds like a good idea. Can you carry him? Or do I need to get someone?" she asked, giving Beary one last look over.

The father shook his head and carefully got up—Tasha held Beary up—before turning and carefully picking up the sleeping cub, cradling him in his arms. It didn't take much effort on his part; Beary was still lighter than he should be since he barely ate anything. Ever since his nightmares had started, the cub had had a hard time keeping his food down, which had eventually led up to him trying to skip meals. Fortunately, that had been put to a stop almost immediately—thanks to Jewel, who had come and told them that Beary had been acting strangely.

Tennessee shook his head again, not wanting to remember that time a mere two months ago. He looked down at the young bear in his arms and couldn't help but half frown, half smile at how young Beary looked.

Beary's head flopped against Tennessee's chest and his snoring continued. His arms were folded on his chest. From just about every angle, it would appear that he was not twelve, but perhaps eight or nine. His face was filled with peace.

Seeing him like this made the thang player feel even worse about the way he had acted earlier. He knew that Trixie was right; Beary and Jewel really _were_ too young to understand what they did was wrong.

Slowly, he began walking towards the building, being careful as to not wake the twelve-year-old. Tasha waddled behind him. Upon entering the building, almost immediately there was a young screech, followed by several other startled cries, and Tennessee found himself surrounded by anxious and worried faces.

"What happened?"

"Is he okay?"

"Beary?!"

Henry and Jewel were the first to reach Tennessee, Tasha, and the sleeping Beary, their expressions panicked.

Beary shifted positions in the thang player's arms and moaned softly. Tennessee looked at them and shook his head before he continued on walking.

Tasha stayed behind and sat down on a nearby chair, looking at them all. "It was a minor seizure. I checked him over and he's going to be okay," she said softly.

"Are you sure?" Allison asked, not taking her eyes off the retreating figures of Tennessee and Beary.

The black she-bear raised an eyebrow and nodded. "I am a doctor, if you will recall," she said, her tone slightly hostile. "Are you saying I don't know what I'm talking about?"

Trixie stepped between her younger sister and Allison. "No more arguing. This is supposed to be a happy day. Now, Tasha says he's going to be okay, so we should listen to he-"

A startled and pained yelp interrupted her, causing everyone to look in the direction that Tennessee had went in, only to find the older bear sprawled out on the ground and Beary lying awkwardly on the couch, about to roll off.

Dex quickly moved towards his brother and pushed him back onto the couch. He smiled as he heard Beary snoring. "He can sleep through anything," he commented softly to himself before he turned and saw Trixie helping Tennessee get up.

Tennessee growled as he practically threw the walking boot away from him. "Stupid thing. I can see why Beary doesn't like it."

"Are you all right?" Trixie asked, brushing a stray strand of hair out of his face.

"Yeah, I'm fine." He looked at Dex. "Is he okay?"

"Yeah, he's good."

Henry and Jewel quickly joined Dex by Beary's side. Jewel sat right next to Beary's head. She gently lifted his head and scooted over, before gently lowering his head back down on her lap. She gently stroked his hair as she stared at his peaceful face. A few moments later, she ran the back of her paws down his cheek before leaning down and kissing the soft fur.

Henry sat down on a chair next to the couch and just watched her for a few minutes with a small smile.

Jewel looked up a moment later and immediately started blushing madly under her fur—since her fur was golden, the crimson was easily seen.

Everyone was staring at her.

Tennessee was now sitting on the chair nearest him, watching his daughter with a mixed expression. Trixie stood next to him with her paws gently rubbing his shoulders; a small smile was plastered on her face. Zeb leaned against a wall and chuckled; Fred just grinned while Ted just shook his head. Allison and Norbert stood side by side, watching the two cubs with smiles on their faces.

"What?" the she-cub asked.

Dex went over to his own girlfriend and placed his arm around her waist. "You two are the perfect couple," he said, grinning.

"Yup. We're gonna have to get your picture taken," Zeb teased as he grabbed a nearby disposable camera and snapped a photo. "Need a picture for the scrapbook."

This just caused the she-cub to blush even more. "C'mon, Beary. Wake up and save me from these meanies."

"Leave 'er alone, meanies," Beary moaned as he shifted positions, curling up on his side, and wrapping one of his arms around Jewel's knee. His soft snores indicated that he had fallen back asleep.

Tasha chuckled at the startled expressions on everyone's faces. A pair of warm, black furred arms wrapped around her middle, the paws resting above her semi-large belly. "Hey, baby," James purred, resting his snout on her shoulder from behind as he slowly rocked her from side to side.

Tasha grinned and turned her head, kissing him quickly on the cheek. "Hello, Sergeant Stone," she cooed softly. "Arrest anyone lately?"

The black furred cop grinned. "You volunteering for the cuffs?" he asked, nuzzling her neck and nipping at her shoulder. "Usually it's me that gets them."

The she-bear smacked his paw. "James!" she giggled. "Not here, you fool!"

He laughed deeply and kissed her cheek. "I was talking about later, dear." He grinned at the look she gave him. "How's our little one doing?" he asked softly after a few minutes.

Tasha looked around for Jordan and saw him still running around excitedly. "Which little one? The one running around like a maniac or the one that is currently kicking me in the ribs?" She winced at another small kick.

James chuckled. "I can see the little maniac, Tasha. I wanna know how the _other_ little one is doing."

She grinned and took one his paws, placing it on her belly. "Feel for yourself."

The father closed his eyes as he felt his unborn cub move inside its mother's womb. The small kick it made caused him to smile. "Feisty, isn't she?" he softly questioned.

"What makes you so sure it's a girl?"

"Just a feeling."

The she-bear's expression softened and she closed her blue eyes, resting her head against her mate's, sighing with content. "I want a girl so bad…"

"I know you do… So do I…"

Their peace was interrupted when their "wild-child" ran up to them, bouncing with excitement. "Can I give my pwesent **_now_**?!" he asked, looking at his parents with pleading eyes.

James started laughing. "Go ask your aunt and uncle, Jordy. It's their party."

The young cub giggled and raced off towards his aunt and uncle.

"He's going to be an interesting older brother," Tasha commented, smiling.

"It is going to be a journey."

.~*The Country Bears*~.

The pile of presents slowly diminished over the course of the next hour, after most of the guests left, leaving only the _Bears_ and other family members, and the gifts themselves had been entertaining, to say the least.

Henry had given them two hundred dollars.

Allison and Norbert gave a recipe book.

Ted, a gift card—he claimed he didn't know what else to give them.

Fred, a blender—"_Always a need for a blender,_" he said. "'_Specially when I come over for a smoothie._"

Zeb, a map of Alaska and a scrapbook filled with pictures of the couple that spanned through the years that the couple had been together, starting with their meeting in that karaoke bar and ending with a picture of the newlyweds and their twelve-year-old daughter. The gift had surprised many people—no one realized just how thoughtful Zeb could be.

James and Tasha gave the couple some fine china and a bottle of Golden Bee Honey, some of the finest honey in the world.

Jordan gave them a cute little drawing and five dollars.

Roadie had gotten them a fancy digital camera—bear-size, of course.

Dex and Roxi had given them fifty dollars—twenty-five apiece.

However, there wasn't anything for them from Beary or Jewel, which surprised them all.

Tennessee kept looking for the sheet music that the cubs had said they had written, but couldn't find it. Finally, at the very bottom of the pile of gifts, there was a large, rectangular envelope.

Curious, Trixie leaned over and picked it up. She opened it and pulled out several crisp pieces of white paper. This was the sheet music that Beary had told them about. "_Keeper of the Stars_," she read aloud.

"Come again?" Zeb questioned. Everyone was now looking at the newlyweds with confusion.

"It's the song Beary and Jewel wrote for us…" Tennessee said softly as he and Trixie began to look through the sheets, frowning as they did so. They were having a bit of trouble reading it.

"They wrote a song?!" Ted questioned, surprised.

"They've written a couple of songs, Ted," James commented. "This is their latest one."

Zeb walked over to the newlyweds and pulled the sheet music out of their paws. "This is… uh…" He was having a tough time reading the music notes, which were somewhat poorly written. "I can barely read this…" He looked at Tasha and James. "I thought you said they were good at this stuff."

"Hate to break it to you, Uncle Zeb, but we can't read music worth a damn. We play by ear," a voice, quickly recognized as Jewel, called out as the lights went out, causing just about everyone to let out startled shouts.

"Not only that, but we wrote the song that way so it could not be reproduced. Well, it could be, but it wouldn't be right. That's how we write all our songs," another voice, this one recognized as Beary, went on. "Though, if you want a copy with the right notes, I guess that can be arranged… somehow… Eh, we'll ask Ted to do it."

Everyone tried to find out where the voices were coming from, but considering everything was dark, it was rather difficult.

"Beary, Jewel, whe-" Tennessee didn't get a chance to finish what he was saying before a single light illuminated the two cubs standing side-by-side, holding paws. Dex and Roxi were standing directly behind the two cubs, Roxi holding a guitar.

Beary—wearing his walking boot—was looking sideways at Jewel, silently communicating with her; Jewel was also communicating with him, her face bearing an anxious expression. Beary leaned over and whispered something in her ear before kissing her on the cheek, earning a couple chuckles from the adults in the room.

Roxi began strumming the guitar and Jewel opened her mouth, letting her beautiful alto voice sing freely. It was a bit shaky at first, but got stronger as Beary squeezed her paw.

_It was no accident  
Me finding you  
Someone had a hand in it  
Long Before we ever knew_

Trixie and Tennessee looked at each other, grinning. Tennessee took his wife's paw and began to slowly dance with her.

Jewel looked at Beary as she went on.

_Now I just can't believe  
You're in my life  
Heaven's smilin' down on me  
As I look at you tonight_

Both cubs looked forward and Jewel went on singing, Roxi and Dex joining her.

_I tip my hat to  
The Keeper of the Stars  
He sure knew what he was doin'  
When he joined these two hearts_

_I hold everything  
When I hold you in my arms  
I've got all I'll ever need  
Thanks to the Keeper of the Stars_

Jewel looked at Beary for a moment before kissing him on the cheek. "Go ahead, C-Bear. Show 'em what you got," she whispered, placing a paw on his cheek before wrapping her arm around his waist. Dex placed a hand on his brother's shoulder and gently squeezed.

Everyone looked at each other in confusion, wondering just what was going on.

They didn't have long to wait before their eyes all widened.

Beary had begun to sing, his voice a strong tenor.

_Soft moonlight on your face  
Oh, how you shine  
It takes my breath away  
Just to look into your eyes_

No one moved. No one could make any comment. They never even **_dreamed_** that Beary would ever be able to sing again.

A few tears rolled down Henry's cheeks as he listened to his son.

Norbert held Allison against him as she silently cried happy tears.

Zeb, Fred, and Ted all looked at each other with shock. Was this really happening?

_I know I don't deserve  
A treasure like you_

Beary looked at Jewel as he wrapped his own arm around her waist.

_There really are no words  
To show my gratitude_

Trixie looked at her husband and whispered. "This is the best gift ever."

Tennessee just nodded. He had no words to say. He had never imagined that not only had the two cubs been writing music, but they had been working on Beary's singing…

This time, only Beary and Jewel continued to sing as Dex and Roxi slowly backed away, letting the two cubs go on alone.

_So I tip my hat to  
The Keeper of the Stars  
He sure knew what he was doin'  
When he joined these two hearts_

_I hold everything  
When I hold you in my arms  
I've got all I'll ever need  
Thanks to the Keeper of the Stars_

Beary dropped out, allowing Jewel to take over.

_It was no accident  
Me finding you_

This time, Jewel dropped out and Beary finished the song alone.

_Someone had a hand in it  
Long before we ever knew_

As his voice dropped out, silence filled the room. Jewel took slow, deep breaths. She leaned against her boyfriend, resting her head on his shoulder. Beary leaned his own head against hers, breathing deeply. Singing had taken a lot out of him, making him rather tired.

Jewel wrapped her other arm around him, just holding him against her. She closed her eyes as the rest of the lights turned back on. She felt as if she were in a dream; everything felt surreal. Had this really happened? Had she really performed for her parents and everyone else?

This felt different than when she had sung at the Christmas concert last year. That had been a fluke; this time, it was planned.

Cheers rose up from the audience, causing both cubs to blink and look at each other in surprise before letting out excited shouts of their own. Jewel practically picked up Beary—her arms wrapped under his arms and around his back—and spun him around. Beary, in turn, let out a startled cry that was quickly followed by laughter.

Jewel quickly lost her balance and fell forward on top of Beary, locking her lips with his. The sight earned quite a few catcalls, but neither cub paid attention as Jewel's arms wrapped around Beary's neck; Beary, in turn, wrapped his own arms around her waist as he held her against him.

"Eh-hem," Tennessee cleared his throat.

Both cubs froze and slowly looked up with madly blushing faces, only to find that everyone had surrounded them and was now staring down at them. Some of the expressions were amused, while others were somewhat skeptical.

"That was amazin'! You two really **_do_** sound amazin' together!" Fred complimented.

"Simply wonderful," Big Al commented.

"I loved it," Ted said.

The others joined in with comments about the song, along with complementing Beary on getting his singing voice back.

"Not only that, but you've only been datin' for one day, and you just can't keep your paws off each other, can you," Zeb snickered as he held out both of his paws and hauled the two cubs to their feet.

Jewel grinned and looked at Beary. She knew what he was thinking: The time for secrets was over. She looked back at the other adults as she tightly wrapped one arm around his waist, placed her free paw on his chest, and rested her head on his shoulder. She felt him wrap one of his own arms around her waist, making her feel secure and safe. She took a deep breath and spoke. "That's where you're wrong, Uncle Zeb. Beary and I haven't been dating for only one day, nor was that our first kiss." She glanced at Beary. "Though, it was wonderful."

Beary just nuzzled her gently.

Every adult—sans Dex, Roxi, and Henry—looked at the duo in shock and confusion.

"Just how long have you been datin'?!" Tennessee growled, his anger getting the better of him.

Both cubs flinched slightly from his harsh tone, but stood their ground. "We've been together since May 29th," Jewel finished softly. "_That's_ when we had our first kiss."

Jaws dropped all around and no one said anything for a few minutes.

"You're joking…"

"This is a prank, isn't it? There's no way…"

"Zeb, I'll be needing that ten bucks back."

Zeb pouted and handed Ted back his money.

Finally, Trixie, Tennessee, and Henry all glanced at each other and nodded.

Jewel and Beary looked at each other in confusion before looking at their respective parents. "What?" they asked at the same time.

Trixie was the one who spoke. "It's time we told you about Bonding."

"Bonding?" Beary asked, blinking several times. "What's that?"

"Hanging out with your friends, Doofus," Dex grinned. "Friendship."

All the bears in the room looked at each other with serious expressions before looking at Dex. "It's more serious than that, Dex," Henry said. "_Much_ more. A bond for us is **_eternal_**."

.~*The Country Bears*~.

Beary and Jewel slowly walked the hotel hallways in silence, both lost in deep thought. It was almost midnight, and everyone else was asleep. The two twelve-year-olds, however, couldn't sleep; Beary was too afraid of his nightmares to sleep, anyway. So, instead of texting each other and driving their respective families insane, they decided to meet out in the hallway and walk around.

They were both thinking about what they had been told only two hours ago.

They had not only been given the embarrassing "the birds and the bees" speech, but they had learned that for bears, it was much more serious.

Once one took a mate, they could never take another. They formed an eternal bond that could never be broken. If one tried to take another mate, they would be betraying their true mate. If one found out that they no longer loved their mate, basically they were screwed; it wasn't like marriage for humans—you couldn't just get a divorce and move on. You were stuck together for life.

"_That's why neither Tenny nor I dated anyone else in the eleven years we were apart,_" Trixie had told them earlier.

That was the original tradition. New traditions had made their way into the world, corrupting the old ways.

The Bond _could_ be declared void, but only if the couple did not have a cub and they both had to openly agree on it. The other way the Bond could be broken was if one of the bonded died—still, if there was a cub from the Bond, then it could not be broken, nor could the survivor move on.

"_Now you know why I could never take another mate. Not that I wanted to, mind you. I loved your mother very much and would never do anything to betray our Bond,_" Henry had told Beary. "_The fact is, even if we never had a child, I would still never betray her after she died._" He had put his paw on his son's shoulder. "_You strengthened our Bond, kiddo._"

"_You see, the Bond is a very serious matter. It's no game for cubs,_" Tennessee had finished. "_You'll understand better when you're older._"

Finally, Jewel broke the silence, and what she said just made Beary start laughing. "I wonder if the kitchen is still open. I could go for some hot chocolate," she said as they stepped into the elevator. She was no longer wearing her dress, but was wearing an ankle-length, ruby-patterned, sleeveless black coat, buttoned up in the front. The necklace Beary had given her was still around her neck; she refused to take it off and would finger it often, much to Beary's amusement.

"Gem, it is September. Why would you want hot chocolate?" Beary questioned. He wore a pair of black shorts, no shirt, and his gray, unzipped hoodie. He also had his walking boot on and was using Jewel for support. He had his arm around her waist, holding her against him. Jewel was doing the same to him with one of her arms, and had her head resting on his shoulder.

"I don't care if it is September, C-Bear. It could be August and we could be Phoenix, Arizona for all I care, but I still want hot chocolate!"

Beary grinned and pressed the button for the main floor. "You are **_definitely_** Trixie's daughter."

His friend playfully smacked him on the chest with her free paw before pecking him on the lips and nuzzling his nose with her own. Beary returned the gentle touch.

They fell silent for a few moments before Jewel spoke up again. "Will… Will we ever, you know… _b-bond_?" she asked softly, blushing furiously.

His eyes widened. "I-It's a bit e-early to be t-thinking about **_that_**, isn't it?!" he squeaked.

Jewel broke away from him slightly and looked into his eyes for a moment before nodding sadly. "Ye-Yeah. Y-You're right… Sorry… Just a lot to think about…"

The silence returned.

The elevator doors finally opened, letting the two cubs exit the darn thing. It had been getting way too uncomfortable in there.

"Come on. Let's go get my hot chocolate," Jewel finally said.

They continued walking until they reached the windows that separated them from the pool. They looked inside and blinked before blushing madly. They couldn't look away, their eyes fixated on the two figures in the hot tub.

"Uh… I don't think they're supposed to be doing **_that_** in the pool," Beary said, his eyes wide.

Jewel merely nodded before glancing at her boyfriend and grinned. "Simple solution to this." With that, she knocked on the window loudly and waved when Dex and Roxi jumped and looked at them with horror.

Beary waved as well before he grabbed Jewel's paw and, laughing loudly, led her towards the lobby.

_.~*~._

At the front desk the night clerk, an African-American female named Belinda grinned as she watched them walking together with no one else around. It was **_perfect_**. She hadn't expected them to come down on their own.

She pulled out her cell phone and sent the text message that would change her life forever. '_Freedom, here I come_.' For too long, she had been held captive by her master and forced to bear his children. No longer. As long as this task was completed correctly, she could finally go free and find her parents.

All she had to do was kill everyone in the hotel. A simple fire would suffice; she had already turned off the sprinkler system and unhooked the fire alarm.

But first… "Hey, kids! You want a cookie?" she called softly after hanging up. She grabbed a couple cookies from a plastic bag on the desk. The cookies had been laced with a sleeping solution and would knock out anyone who ate one for nearly five hours.

Beary and Jewel blinked and looked back at her with surprise. "Uh… No thank you… We don't take food from strangers," Jewel replied. It was true—they had never seen _this_ night clerk before, even though they had been in this hotel for nearly two weeks. Beary held Jewel closer to him and they began to back away.

Belinda shook her head and walked out from behind the check-in/out area, holding out the two cookies. She walked towards them. "I **_insist_**."

"Hey! Leave them alone!"

Beary and Jewel breathed a sigh of relief when they saw Dex, wearing swim trunks and a towel around his neck walking towards them with an angry expression.

The Barrington stepped between the clerk and the two young cubs. "Back off."

The clerk huffed. "I was just offering them a cookie." She glared at the young adult for a moment before retreating and disappearing.

Dex turned towards his younger brother with an angered expression. "What the hell do you two think you're doing?!" he nearly shouted, causing the two cubs to tremble. "You shouldn't be down here at this time of night!"

"Sorry," Beary apologized sarcastically. "And you shouldn't be down here, either, Dex."

"It's a good thing that I was swimming in the pool with Roxi and wanted some juice, or else who knows what could've happened."

"I wanted hot chocolate," Jewel sniffed. She quickly turned and went into the dining area, ignoring Dex's calls for her to come back. Beary followed his girlfriend.

Dex groaned loudly and followed them, glancing back every now and then. He sat down at one of the tables after getting his apple juice, and watched Beary and Jewel with a small smile.

"Beary, give me the mix already!" Jewel growled playfully as she tried to grab the white packet from him.

Beary laughed and continued holding the mix above his head, awkwardly dodging her attempts to grab the prize. "Never."

The she-cub growled again and lunged at him, tackling the startled twelve-year-old to the ground.

Beary let out a loud, startled cry as he went down, landing flat on his back. Jewel fell on top of him, their legs tangled up together. Their noses were centimeters apart as they looked into each others' wide eyes.

Dex was laughing his butt off as he watched them. "Oh, this is gold!" he snickered loudly. It was as if what had happened only a few minutes earlier never took place. He lifted his phone up, having been holding it in his hands, and snapped a photo.

Jewel scrambled off of her boyfriend, her skin hot under her fur, and backed away as he slowly sat up and looked at her, shocked.

They stayed like that for almost a minute before Jewel leaned forward, grabbed the packet from his paw, and kissed him. She grinned at his stunned expression and stood, heading back to the counter. "I win."

Beary, getting over his shock, got up and began to limp over to her, ignoring his brother's loud laughter. He stood behind Jewel and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her against him slightly. "Meanie."

"Of course," Jewel grinned as she finished stirring her hot chocolate. She turned in his arms so that she was now facing him, and pressed her lips against his as she wrapped her arms around his neck, being mindful of the hot chocolate she held.

Beary moaned and kissed her back.

"Hey, you two. Knock it off. I don't wanna watch you two make out."

They practically jumped apart and looked at Dex with horror. "Oops," Jewel grinned. She looked at his neck, seeing the red mark, and giggled loudly. "Looks like you got a hickey."

Dex blinked several times and covered the mark with his towel. "I can't believe that I'm getting teased by you two." He grinned. "Oh, it's not like you two don't give each other hickeys with the way you make out."

Beary blushed and shook his head. "Oh, it's not like you and Roxi weren't doing something a bit worse than making out."

The crimson blush that quickly covered Dex's face caused the two cubs to burst into loud laughter. "We weren't doing **_that_**!" the young adult practically screeched. "You interrupted before we cou—Forget I said that."

Beary grimaced and shook his head. "Bleh."

Jewel grinned. "Uh-huh. Sure. Whatev—Dex!" she screeched, absolutely terrified. She dropped her cub of hot cocoa. Beary's face mirrored the she-cub's terrified expression.

Dex slowly turned, only to find himself staring down the barrel of a gun.

Holding the gun was Belinda and she looked furious. "You should've stayed in your room. Now you can suffer and die a slow, painful death as you watch your baby "brother" and his little broad get taken. After that, you can just burn to death." She lowered the gun to his upper chest region and fired.

The sound was almost completely silent due to the gun having a silencer on it. Beary and Jewel both opened their mouths to let out horrified screams, but no sound came out.

The force of the blast sent Dex careening backwards against the wall. Crimson blood began to spread across his chest like a broken fountain as he slid down the wall, a crimson stain following him down.

"**_DEX_**!" Beary shouted as he began to move towards his brother, only to have the gun turned on him. He felt Jewel wrap her arms around his waist. He quickly turned and wrapped his own arms around her, holding her against him protectively.

Dex slowly turned his head and looked at them with pain-filled eyes. "R-Run," he whispered, a small line of blood rolling out of the corner of his mouth and down his chin.

"You're going nowhere, you little brats," a male voice said from behind Belinda.

Beary and Jewel didn't even have time to see who the new person was before Belinda fell forward with a large bullet hole through her forehead.

The two cubs were covered with blood and pink brain matter. Beary was bleeding from his ear where the bullet had gone through, but he barely felt it. The blood streamed from his ear and landed on Jewel's head, staining her fur. The twelve-year-olds trembled violently and whimpered loudly.

Two figures stood in the doorway. The male held a gun while the female held two pairs of handcuffs.

Beary wrapped one arm around Jewel's neck and forced her to look away. The she-cub buried her face against his neck, quietly crying.

"Hello, Beary Taylor and Jewel O'Neal. It's time for you to come with us," the female said before pulling out a gun of her own, aiming it at the two terrified cubs.

Beary moved in front of Jewel, shielding her just as the first almost silent shot went off and something embedded itself in his neck. "J-Jewel… run…" he whispered as his legs began to give out on him.

Jewel looked into his eyes and watched as they dulled and closed. Her own eyes filled with tears as she clutched him against her. "No! Beary, I'm not leaving you!" she cried as she sank to the ground, trying to support him. She let out a loud yelp as another shot went off and something hit her neck.

Almost immediately, she felt woozy and tired. She let Beary fall all the way to the ground before she fell forward on top of him, landing in an awkward position on top of him.

Dex could only watch in horror. He couldn't bring himself to make a sound, nor did he have the strength. He was growing weaker by the moment and could barely hold his head up. His vision faded in and out as blood continued to spread across his chest. He could hear the two people approach his brother and Jewel, but was helpless to stop it.

He saw their shoes, covered in blood, stop in front of him. He heard them ask him something, but he made no response. He watched with half-closed eyes as Beary and Jewel were dragged through the pool of blood and out the doorway.

'_I'm so sorry_,' he mentally whispered as he slowly moved his hand in the direction of his cell phone once the figures had disappeared with his _stolen_ baby brother and his "sister". He dialed 911 and shakily brought the phone up to his ear.

"_911, what's your emergency?_"

"Need… H-Help… S-Stanley Hotel…" He couldn't hold onto the phone any longer. His hand dropped to his side and the cell phone landed in the pile of blood.

He fell on his side and began to pull himself out of the room, but he barely made it before he lost all his strength.

He had failed his baby brother.

A pair of icy blue eyes looking at him.

A scream.

Dex's eyes closed as he fell into darkness.


	5. Chapter Four

.~*Chapter Four*~.

"James!"

The police sergeant sat up quickly on his bed and looked around the dark room. He yawned before reaching over and flicking on a light, illuminating the hotel room. He looked next to him, expecting to see his wife, only to find the sheets ruffled and the spot empty. Slowly, James Stone sat up. "Where are you, Tasha?" he asked softly, so as to not wake his sleeping son or Je—

'_Wait a minute… Where's Jewel?_' he wondered as he looked at the bed that his son and Jewel were sharing for the night. Jordan was sleeping soundly in the bed, but Jewel was nowhere to be found. He walked over to the nightstand and picked up his niece's cell phone and flipped through the inbox text messages. '_Hm… From Beary, Beary, Beary, and—Oh, what do you know? Beary_,' he thought in amusement. '_Geez…_' He went to the last message and saw the words "_Hot chocolate_" and "_meet me in the hallway_".

James shook his head. He knew where his niece had gone. With a sigh, he put the cell phone in his pocket, making a mental note to tell his niece to not text so late, and went over to the bathroom door, knocking softly. "Tash? What's wrong?" He didn't like being over here. It felt hot and uncomfortable.

There was silence for a minute before the she-bear finally replied. "My water broke."

The black bear yawned. "That's nice… I'm going back to be—WHAT?!" he shouted. "Are you sure?!"

"Yes, I'm sure! The baby's coming, James!" Tasha replied from within the bathroom. "Wake Jewel and tell her to watch Jordan."

"I would, but she and Beary went down for some hot chocolate."

"Gah! Take Jordan down there and have them watch him. Then come back to get me. I'll be packed up by then."

"I'll take the stairs to save some time, okay?"

"Just go, you fool!"

James grinned and went back over towards the bed. He gently shook his son awake. "Jordy, come on. Wake up, kiddo," he said softly.

The five-year-old groaned and rolled over onto his other side. "Go 'way…"

The father shook his head and picked up his son, blankets and all. "Come on. I'll carry you down." He carried his son out of the room, cradling him in his arms. The door closed tightly behind him before he got a glance at the flames that began to eat through the walls of the room.

Walking out in the hallway, he blinked and his eyes widened. Flames licked the hallway walls and carpet. "Holy crap!" he swore loudly. There were other people in the hallways, screaming and crying. It was complete chaos.

"Go to the stairwells!" he shouted, taking control. "GO!" He coughed harshly on the thick smoke. Briefly, he wondered why the fire alarm hadn't gone off.

He looked up at the ceiling as people rushed past him, pushing and shoving as they tried to get out of the burning hallway, and blinked. The sprinklers hadn't turned on.

"MAMA!" Jordan began to scream from within his father's arms.

James' eyes widened and he turned back towards the room door; he had forgotten his key card inside. "Damn it!" He set his son down next to the door and covered his face with the blanket. "Don't move!"

Jordan, absolutely terrified, just looked at his father and nodded. He whimpered loudly.

With years of training and experience, James expertly kicked his room door open, yelping in pain as he felt something in his ankle break.

"JAMES!" Tasha screamed, pounding on the bathroom door.

James hobbled over towards bathroom door and began to push on it. He paid no attention to the flames around him. He knew why Tasha hadn't gotten out of the bathroom—the door had jammed again. They had been meaning to tell the manager about it, but kept forgetting. "Oh, Ursute," he whispered as a few tears rolled down his cheeks. He could hear Tasha's screams from the other side of the door.

"FIRE! THERE'S FIRE IN HERE! **_JAMES_**!"

It was at that moment that James put his full weight against the door and pushed. The door flew open and whatever had been behind it fell against the burning wall above the bathtub.

There was a horrific and pained shriek.

James froze in shock for a moment when he saw his wife being burned alive. Her screams brought him to his senses as he ran into the room and pulled her out of the flames and started beating the flames on her fur with his paws. Finally, he grabbed her coat from the coat rack and began patting the flames out.

Tasha continued to scream in his arms as he lifted her in the air and cradled her against him. He no longer felt the pain from his ankle. He moved out of the room and nearly tripped over a fallen body in the doorway. "Dear Ursute," he whispered when he realized that the fallen body was his son. "So-me-bo-dy, help!" he screamed as he coughed from the smoke.

"Ja-mes?!"

All of the sudden, two figures arrived out of the smoke, both coughing and wheezing heavily. One was taller than the other by a good foot.

Fred looked at his friend in shock. "What the-"

"Ta-ke Jor-dan!" James coughed.

Fred merely nodded and, with Ted's help, picked up the five-year-old and held his face against his chest. Once Jordan was securely in his arms, he began making his way through the smoke and flame-filled hallway.

James, carrying Tasha, went next, helped by Ted, who was holding up most of the injured bear's weight as well as Tasha's; he was using muscles he didn't know he had. A part of him wished that Fred had let him carry the cub, and then Fred would help James and Tasha.

They could only hope that the others got out as well.

.~*The Country Bears*~.

_Henry looked at the terrified face of his son with horror. "Beary!" he shouted as he struggled to reach his boy._

_Beary was kneeling on the ground, bound in chains, and encircled by a ring of fire. His hazel eyes reflected the flames and the terror he felt as he cried out in a pitiful voice. "DAD! DAD, HELP ME!"_

_Henry's legs wouldn't move. It was as if they were stuck in hardened cement. "Beary! Hold on! I'm coming!" The air felt thick and heavy; it was making him tired. In front of him, his son was hunched over, choking on the smoke from the flames._

_"Da-ad!" he coughed harshly. "Ple-ease! He-elp me!" His cries were getting weaker. He looked at his father with pleading eyes._

_Henry's heart was breaking as he whispered, "Beary… I… I'm sorry…"_

_Evil laughter filled the air as a dark figure emerged from the flames behind the trapped cub. The flames licked the silverish-black fur of a bear that made Henry's heart stop._

_"Hello, Hen. Miss me?" Adam Jackson questioned as he took a step towards Beary with a sick and twisted expression on his face._

_"Adam," Henry growled._

_Adam bent down and placed a burning paw on Beary's head, grabbed a pawful of hair and yanked hard, forcing the cub to stand._

_Beary's scream of pain broke Henry's heart, causing him to triple his efforts at getting to his son. "Stay the _**hell**_ away from my son!" he snarled._

_Adam chuckled and wrapped an arm around the cub's neck. "Nah. I think _I'll_ make a good parent. Much better than you. At least _**I**_ won't abandon him." The ring of fire began to close in, the orange flames licking at Beary's fur. "He's _**mine**_ now, Henry."_

_"Dad… Help me… Please… Don't leave me… like you… abandoned Mama…"_

"Henry! Henry, wake up, damn it!"

The pepper furred bear was pulled out his nightmare with a startled cry as his hazel eyes shot open. He placed a paw on his head and breathed deeply. That was the worst dream he had had in a while. The words that the dream Beary had said to him would haunt him for the rest of his life…

He knew he had to set things right and finally tell his son the full truth as to why Beary had been left with the Barringtons for so long and why Henry hadn't taken him back.

"HENRY! WAKE UP!"

'_Who the heck…?_' Henry sat up and looked around the dark hotel room in confusion. The room was hot and stuffy and **_extremely_** uncomfortable. Even though the window was open, Henry was sweating under his fur and night shirt.

Sometimes he **really** hated being a bear with semi-thick fur.

The pounding at the door became more insistent as Zeb Zoober shouted something about breaking the door down if Henry didn't answer.

The elder bear slowly got up and went to the door, moving his paw towards the lock, intent on unlocking it. However, strangely enough, it was already unlocked. "Odd…" he mumbled. "I could've sworn I told Beary to lock it…" He pulled open the door just as Zeb was about to charge. "Zeb, what on earth?"

The golden brown bear stopped what he was doing and looked at him in surprise. "You can't smell the smoke? The hotel's on fire, Henry!"

Henry looked at him in confusion for a moment before what Zeb said registered in his mind. His eyes widened and he spun around on his heel and raced back over to the beds, intent on waking his son.

He can to a screeching stop and looked at the bed in confusion. The blankets were slightly wrinkled, but the bed hadn't been slept in. Beary wasn't here, but his cell phone was.

The father, after grabbing the phone, immediately turned and looked at Zeb with frightened eyes. "Did you see Beary out in the hallway?" He turned back and grabbed a small bag from beside the bed. Beary's backpack.

The fiddler shook his head. "Maybe he already went outside, where we should be." Zeb didn't waste any more time as he grabbed Henry's wrist and pulled him out of the room and into the smoky hallway.

.~*The Country Bears*~.

The hotel was ablaze with fire on the bottom and second floor; the flames were quickly spreading to the third and fourth floors. Already, several people were being treated with burns or were dead because they hadn't been able to get out of their rooms in time. Many others were being treated for smoke inhalation.

The parking lot was pandemonium and chaos. Just about everyone was wearing nothing but their pajamas/underwear. Well, _mostly_ everyone was. Trixie and Tennessee, however, were wrapped up in blankets, their fur very disheveled. They **_refused_** to look at anyone else as they breathed in the fresh air; both were sitting on a bench.

Five-year-old Jordan Stone was crying in his father's arms as a paramedic treated the burn on his arm. He had been burned when he and his parents had escaped down the stairs from their room on the second floor.

James, himself, had been burned. He had also managed to break his ankle when he kicked the door in. His burns were more severe than his son's but he refused to be treated until Jordan was. His mind, however, was not on what was going on around him. All his thoughts were worried and focused on his wife.

Tasha had gone into labor and had been immediately rushed to the hospital upon getting out of the hotel. She had been burned as well, but it was over her frontal region and her face. Her burns consisted of first and second degree, bordering on third. She had been in the bathroom and had cried out that her water had broken when the flames had first climbed up the walls to their room. The door had gotten stuck…

"Sir? Sir, please let me see your burns so we may treat them."

James was pulled out of his thoughts and looked at the paramedic before finally nodding after seeing that Jordan had been taken care of.

Ted, Fred, and Al were being treated for smoke inhalation, but they hadn't been burned, thankfully. Both Ted and Fred had been extremely lucky. Roadie had been sleeping out in the bus, but now he stood with his friends.

Roxi stood alone, crying. She was covered in blood, but she didn't tell anyone what had happened. She was wearing a bikini and had a blanket wrapped tightly around her. She sat on the bumper of a nearby ambulance.

Zeb and Henry hadn't been seen yet, nor had Beary and Jewel.

Fred glanced at Roxi. "Hey, where's Dex?"

The traumatized female looked up at them and said with a neutral tone. "He was shot."

Every person near her [which included Al, the Bedderheads, the O'Neal adults, and James and Jordan Stone] looked at her with horror clearly seen on their faces.

Roxi Starr just whispered "He was shot" over and over again. She continued to tremble until she was pulled into a warm hug by Roadie, who quickly sat next to her. She cried against his chest. "I c-c-couldn't stop th-them, Daddy!" she cried. "I-I-I got h-him out of t-th-there as s-soon as I cou-could…"

"Shh, baby… It wasn't your fault…" the drummer whispered before looking at the others, who just stared at him with wide eyes. "I'll explain later," he said softly.

Fred looked around. "Wait a minute… Where's Henry, Beary, Jewel, and Zeb?"

Everyone else looked around as well, their hearts full of fear. They knew that Beary and Henry's room on the fourth floor, and they also knew that Zeb had gone up to alert them to what was going on.

Trixie's eyes filled with terror as she stood. "Jewel?" She looked at James. "James, where's Jewel?!"

The black bear blinked and looked around in confusion. "She didn't come down with us… She wasn't in the room when we escaped."

"What do you mean she wasn't in the room?!" Tennessee demanded.

"She wasn't. I know she was up late texting Bea-ow! Hey!"

"Sorry," the paramedic treating him said. "But it has to be clean."

James shook his head and looked at the others. "She was texting Beary. A **_lot_**. They went down to get some hot chocolate—at least, that's what the last couple of messages said." He chuckled softly. "She is **_definitely_** Trixie's daughter." He pulled Jewel's phone out of his pocket and handed it to Tennessee. "Here. You take this."

"Hot chocolate in September?" Tennessee questioned, taking the phone from his brother-in-law. "It's almost 85 degrees outside!"

James just shrugged. "Either way, she wasn't anywhere to be found when the room started burning."

"That means she and Beary were downstairs when the fire started!" Trixie cried.

"Or they were still upstairs or were in the elevator," Tennessee whispered, horrified.

James didn't get a chance to reply before he and Jordan were finally loaded up in an ambulance together and taken to the hospital.

The others watched the retreating ambulance before harsh coughing drew their attention to two approaching tall figures, both smelling terribly of smoke and singed fur.

"You're lu-cky we fou-nd a wi-nd-ow with a cou-uple fire-figh-ters, Zeb," Henry coughed harshly, leaning against the fiddler for support. "That was stu-pid of y-you to c-come ba-back."

"Yeah, yeah. Sa-ve it, Hen." Zeb choked out. They finally cleared the crowds and appeared in front of the assembled group. "Man, I lo-st my hat. I lo-ve-ed th-at h-hat." Both Zeb and Henry were wearing just nightshirts. Their fur was singed and burned off in some places.

Henry shook his head and looked at the others. "Be-ary is-n't out he-re, is he?" he asked hopefully, still coughing. He didn't get an answer before Zeb started snickering.

Zeb was looking at the disgruntled Trixie and Tennessee. "You t-two get **_inter-ru-rupted_**?" he asked, wiggling his eyebrows. "Cou-couldn't wa-it for the ho-ney-mo-on, cou-ld ya?"

Trixie, absolutely embarrassed, buried her face against her husband's chest. Tennessee just glared at the fiddler. "Shut up," he growled, both annoyed and embarrassed. He gently rubbed Trixie's back.

The auburn bear just grinned before he broke down in a harsh coughing fit. Fred patted him on the back while another paramedic attached an oxygen mask to his snout.

Henry, too, had an oxygen mask on his snout and was now sitting on the bench that Trixie and Tennessee had previously occupied. He pulled at the oxygen mask and spoke again. "W-Whe-re's B-Be-ary?"

Roxi cried some more and looked at Henry, Trixie, and Tennessee from Roadie's arms. "T-That's why… Th-that's why Dex was… was shot… He… He tri-ed to… to stop…"

"Take a deep breath, Roxi," Roadie whispered. "Tell us what happened."

She nodded and took a deep, shuddering breath. Exhaling, she began.

**F****LASHBAC****K**

_"Dex!" Roxi shrieked as her boyfriend splashed water from the hot tub at her. She moved her arms in front of her face in a defensive position. _

_Dex laughed loudly and looked at her from where he sat in the hot tub. "Come on in, Rox. Show me this "wild side" you were talking about earlier at the reception," he grinned._

_The seventeen-year-old needed no further encouragement as she walked into the hot tub and sat on her boyfriend's lap, facing him with her legs bent on either side of his. She scooted closer and pressed her chest against his as she wrapped her arms around his neck._

_Dex placed his hands on her waist and caught her lips with his own. He broke the kiss a moment later and looked her in the eyes. "Hm… No, I don't think that's your wild side, Roxi…" he murmured._

_Roxi smirked and slowly swiveled her hips against his and brought her mouth to his neck, beginning to nibble on the soft skin. She felt his lips gently brush against her neck, but she paid no mind to it as she continued to suck. Her entire body was tingling as Dex ran his hands up and down her sides. She moved her lips back to his and kissed him deeply. She moved her hands to the back of his head, holding his mouth against hers. Her kisses became more needy and hungry. She wanted him. She wanted him so much. _

_She knew Dex felt the same way as he began to untie her top—_

**F****LASHBAC****K I****NTERRUPTE****D**

"We do-n't ne-ed to he-ar h-how y-you and D-Dex had s-sex, Ro-xi," Zeb pointed out.

She blushed furiously and looked down. "We didn't get **_that_** far."

"Enough, Zeb," Ted growled.

**F****LASHBAC****K R****ESUME****D**

_A loud knocking on the window caused Roxi to shriek and back away from her boyfriend, her arms bent in front of her naked chest. Dex wrapped his arms around her, shielding her from whomever it was that was looking through the window. He turned his head and let out a loud curse._

_"Dex? Who is it?" Roxi asked, her tone horrified._

_"It's Beary and Jewel… I'm going to _**kill**_ them."_

_Roxi reached around and grabbed her top, using Dex as a shield as she tied her bikini top back on. As soon as it was secure, she nodded to him and he removed his arms from around her and grabbed a towel, wrapping it around his shoulders as he got out of the hot tub. Roxi followed him, grabbing her own towel and wrapping it around her body._

_She turned and saw the two cubs waving at her, grinning like maniacs before they disappeared from the window."What are they doing down here? Shouldn't they be in bed?"_

_"I don't know what the hell they're doing, but I'm going to find out."_

_Roxi watched as he disappeared out of the room. She heard him yell something about leaving somebody alone, and blinked. She began to approach the door, only to see a very angry young woman stalk past her, heading towards somewhere unknown. She paid the woman no attention and looked for Dex, only to see him arguing with Beary and Jewel before Jewel moved into the dining area with Beary following. She grinned when she saw Dex, grumbling, follow them into the room._

_With a soft sigh, she sank down on one of the pool chairs and waited._

_And waited._

_And waited._

_"Oh, where is he?" she wondered aloud. She got up and looked out the window again, only to have her eyes widen in horror._

_Beary and Jewel, both covered in blood, were being dragged out of the scruff of their necks by two figures, one was a woman with platinum blond hair and Caucasian skin, while the other was a male with dark skin and hair. Both cubs were unconscious and in handcuffs. Their kidnappers had guns that were aimed at the cubs' heads._

_ Roxi was about to let out a horrified scream, but the next thing she saw terrified her—one of the kidnappers, the female—pulled out a lighter, with the flame out and flung it into the dining room. Right after that, the female continued pulling Beary out of the building; Jewel and the male were already gone._

**E****N****D F****LASHBAC****K**

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! Did you say they was kidnapped?!" Fred questioned, shocked.

Roxi just nodded and continued to cry. "I-I-I co-couldn't stop th-them!"

"You didn't even try!" Trixie shrieked.

Tennessee wrapped his arms around his wife tightly, trying to sooth her but was failing miserably at it. He was furious.

Henry's eyes were wide. He couldn't believe this was happening again. Not this. His son had been _stolen_ from him yet again. This was madness! He was only **_twelve_**, for Pete's sake! And now Jewel had been taken, too?! What had the world come to?!

Ted looked at them all. "You're sayin' this was a cover-up?"

"They… They wanted us dead… so… so we couldn't go after them…" Zeb whispered, horrified.

Trixie finally broke down in tears. "They… Th-they t-took my b-baby…"

Tennessee held her tightly, gently rocking her side to side. He, too, was crying, albeit a bit more quietly.

"This… This can't be happening again," Henry whispered. He glanced at Al, who placed a paw on his shoulder and sighed.

"We'll find them…" the gray bear said softly as rain began to fall from the sky, as if the heavens were crying over all that had been lost.

.~*The Country Bears*~.

She let out a low moan as her eyelids blinked sleepily. The floor beneath her was cold and hard, but her head was resting on something warm and soft. Everything was dark and bitter, but it felt like it was moving. There was little light in the strange place.

"Where… am I…?" she wondered as she rolled over, wincing as her head began to throb. Her wrists were throbbing as well. She attempted to place one paw against her temple, only to feel a pull as her other wrist lifted as well.

Her eyes widened when she realized that her wrists were handcuffed together. There was a chain latched to them as well. Immediately, she began to panic and started squirming around. Her entire body trembled as a whine escaped her lips.

Where was she?

What was going on?

Why was she here?

"Mama… Daddy…" she whimpered as tears rolled down her cheeks.

"S-Stop… mo-mov…ving…"

The voice startled her. As quickly as she could, Jewel turned and looked with wide eyes at her boyfriend, who was lying on his side, just barely moving. He, too, was handcuffed and had a chain attached to the cuffs. She studied the chain for a moment before realizing that it was attached to her own handcuffs. She then noticed that he had a collar around his neck with a semi-thick chain that was attached to the chain that connected their handcuffs.

Moving her paws up, she found that she, too, had a collar around her neck with a chain that connected to his. She looked back at his face. Beary's eyes lazily fluttered, almost as if he was falling back asleep.

"N-No! Beary, wake up!" Jewel whimpered, absolutely terrified. She reached out and cupped his cheeks with her paws. "P-Please! D-Don't l-leave me al-alone!"

He moaned as he slowly opened his eyes and looked at her. "J-Jewel…?" he asked softly. "W-What are you doing in my room?" he wondered as he slowly sat up with her help. "Ooo… My head hurts…"

The she-cub didn't get a chance to say anything before Beary suddenly let out a startled cry.

"C-Chains…" A terrified whine escaped his lips as he immediately began to panic. "No, no, no, no! Not again!" He began grabbing at the chains, pulling at his collar, and crying. He couldn't believe this was happening again.

He was in chains once again.

Jewel immediately reached out and gripped his paw. Internally, she was freaking out as well, but she tried to not show it. She failed, however, when her own fearful expression caused her friend to freak even more. "B-Beary!"

He had curled up in the fetal position, lost in his horrible memories. His entire body was trembling with fear as tears rolled down his cheeks.

Seeing him like this brought tears to her own eyes. She had _never_ seen him like this before; it scared her. She scooted towards him, gently placing a paw on his arm and side. Her voice shook as she spoke. "B-Beary… P-Ple-Please… S-Stop…"

Perhaps it was the shakiness in her voice or the fact that she was crying, but Beary slowly began to focus on the present time once again. "J-Jewel…" he whispered a few minutes later. "D-Don't cry…" His entire body continued to tremble, but he looked up at her with fearful eyes. A part of him knew that he had to remain calm and try to keep control of his emotions. He knew that since he had gone through this before, he had to help Jewel feel safe.

But… How was he supposed to do that when he, himself, didn't feel secure?

Acting upon instinct, he slowly sat up and pulled her into his arms. Well, he tried. The cuffs on his wrists prevented him from fully pulling her into his arms. He groaned and looked at the chains that bound them together, studying them carefully. After a few moments, he looked into Jewel's eyes. "Do you trust me?" he asked softly, being careful to control the shaking in his voice.

Jewel nodded slowly.

"Turn… Turn around…"

Confused, the she-cub did so, concerned at the strange sound of the chains rattling. For some reason, she had a feeling of déjà vu as she watched Beary move his arms in such a way that he enveloped her in a hug from behind. His paws came to rest just above her abdomen, and she could see that the cuffs were digging into his skin because of the awkward angle they were in. She was pulled close to his body and she could feel him cautiously bring his head forward so that his snout rested on her shoulder and cheek.

Immediately, a sense of security overcame her as she began to relax in his arms. Her breathing slowed and her tears finally ceased. She raised her own arms so that her paws came to rest on top of his. She gently squeezed his paws and pressed her head against his.

Their collars chinked together and the chains rattled as the two terrified cubs slowly began to lie on their sides in a spoon-like position. Beary moved his head so that is was resting on top of hers, his snout buried against her neck.

"I'm g-gonna get us out of here…" he whispered.

"Do-don't do something st-stupid, B-Beary… I… I don't w-want them to hurt you…" She was terrified that if her friend did something foolish, like fight back, their kidnappers would kill him. She couldn't stand the thought of being left alone.

Beary squeezed her paws again and felt her snuggle closer to him. "I won't leave you, Jewel… I promise…" His mind drifted back to the conversation he had had with Tennessee. He had made a promise to not let any harm come to Jewel whatsoever. He planned on living up to that promise, no matter the cost. Even if it cost him his freedom, he vowed to make sure Jewel returned home.

"B-Beary? I… I'm sc-scared… I wa-wanna go home…"

"I know, Gem… I do, too…" He suddenly felt Jewel stiffen under him before she let out a sigh of relief. "What? What's wrong?"

"N-Nothing… Just making sure I had them…"

"What?"

"Your medicine… Renee told me to keep a bottle of them with me at all times… just in case…"

Beary frowned slightly. He had forgotten all about his epilepsy. His curse. He sighed and held her tighter. "Good thinking, Gem…" A small yawn escaped him and his eyelids drooped. Somehow, just holding Jewel against him made him feel safe and secure. He just knew that as long as they were together, everything was going to be okay.

In his arms, Jewel was already asleep.

"Sleep well, Jewel…" he whispered before he, too, fell into comforting darkness.

_.~*The Country Bears*~._

"Mmm… Derek…" she moaned softly as she clawed at his back fiercely. She needed this. She missed his touch. "I've missed you…" She buried her snout in his neck and began to bite.

"Sorry I ain't be 'round," he grunted as he bit at her neck as well. "But ya knows I have ta do mah job…"

She pushed him off of her and rolled on her side, her back towards him. She reached down and pulled the blanket up, covering herself with it. She sighed. "I wish you wouldn't bring up that job… You know I don't like it." She sniffled. "That "job" took you away from me… Forced you to… to take several mates…"

"But da money we got from it sent ya ta college like ya wan'ed!"

"Yes, but I was still forced to come back and help you out with… with the births of all your other cubs…" A choked sob escaped her lips. "The c-cubs that sh-shouldn't exist… **_I'm_** your mate! Those cubs should be mine!"

"We al'eady have ovah thi'ty cubs, Lei-Lei!"

"They should **_all_** be mine! With your other mates, you have over a hundred cubs! And you have not kept a single one except for that one that you couldn't sell because no one wanted him! You made me raise him until he was twenty, and then you got rid of him!"

Her mate didn't get a chance to interrupt before the she-bear went on.

"You wouldn't even let me keep our first daughter! You wouldn't let me keep Mysty, but you kept him!"

"Ya knows as well as I dat females sell mow on da black ma'ket!" He took a deep breath and spoke in a soft tone. "I made suwr she wen ta a lovin family, Lei-Lei… I gave her to a family I know. She was well raised…" He cupped her chin with his paw. "I hew she became a nurse…"

Lei looked at him unseeingly through the darkness. "A-Are you serious?"

Derek gave her a kiss. "Yes." He then sighed and moved towards her, wrapping his arms around his mate's waist. He pulled her against him. "Lei… Baby, I wanted dis ta be a surprise, but…"

"What?"

"I'm leaving dat job… I finally found a replacement… We can finally be together… Retire ta da count'yside and start anew… Just you and me, lik da way it was supposed ta be… No one else, unless we adopt a cub… Perhaps one of our grandcubs…"

Lei stiffened in his arms. "No… No, no, no, no, no! Derek!" She turned and faced him as she sat up. "You will not put anyone through what we went through! I do not want you to get a replacement!"

Derek looked at her. "But, Lei… Isn't it wha ya always wanted? To live togethah?"

"Not if it means you have to force two innocents to take your place! I won't allow you to do that!"

"Lei-"

"**_NO_**!"

"Lei, lis'en ta me!" Derek growled, gripping her arm tightly. "I need ya ta come ba'k wit me one mow time!"

"Why?!"

"'Cause I wan ya ta tak ca'e of da two new cubs!"

Lei blinked several times. "You… what?"

"I wan you ta get dem 'eady fo wha dey have ta do." He took a deep, shuddering breath, trying to calm down. "I wan ya ta be der muzzah," he said softly.

Just hearing the word "mother" caused the she-bear to forget their argument, not to mention what they had been arguing about, and wrap her arms tightly around her mate. "Oh, Derek… Thank you… Thank you so much…"

He grinned and kissed her. "I luv ya, Lei-Lei… I always have…"

She fell into his kisses and it wasn't long before they both lost themselves in fierce love-making.


	6. Chapter Five

.~*Chapter Five*~.

Dawn.

Dawn was supposed to bring hope, but today, that was not the case. Today, it once again brought despair.

Tasha Stone was severely burned and it was unknown whether she would survive. However, she did give birth to a beautiful baby she-cub. It would be a few weeks until her eyes would open. Even though the she-cub was a month and a half premature, she was doing pretty well, but she was being closely monitored by doctors.

James was staying and watching over his wife and daughter, as well as his son at the hospital. His ankle had been broken from kicking in the hotel room door, but he didn't care about that. He just wanted his wife and baby girl to be okay. He already knew his son would be.

The others suffered various injuries, but mostly just smoke inhalation.

Dex's fate, however, was unknown at the moment. All they knew was that the bullet had gone straight through one of his lungs and had exited out somewhere through his back, but it had done severe damage to his muscles and collarbone.

Roxi remained by his side day and night. She had refused to move until her father forced her to come to the new hotel and get some rest.

None of that compared to the fact that Beary and Jewel had been missing for thirteen hours.

Everyone was currently gathered in the new hotel lobby, sitting in the chairs. None could believe what had happened.

Over the past few hours, multiple policemen and women have come and gone, each asking a million questions as to what happened. For now, though, everyone was left in peace.

Allison and Norbert couldn't be reached; everyone presumed that they were still on their airplane back to Nashville, for there had been a few flight delays due to the weather in the Midwest, or perhaps they were in a no-signal zone.

Trixie was crying against her new husband's chest, clutching his thick brown fur tightly. Tennessee's arms were wrapped around her securely; his chin resting on top of her head as he gently rocked her back and forth. A few tears of his own rolled down his cheeks. Both were now fully clothed—they had had suitcases on the bus that they took some clothes out of; Trixie was wearing one of her long robes, and Tennessee was wearing a jean vest.

Al, wearing his usual work vest and belt, sat next to his brother-in-law, trying to comfort him, but seemed to be failing. Henry had sunk into a deep depression. Henry was wearing a blackish-silver velvet vest and his infamous gold necktie. He had his head resting against the palms of his paws.

Roadie, wearing his usual leather outfit, sat next to Roxi, who was, in fact, his daughter that had been taken from him when his wife left him when she was just nine. He was doing everything he could to comfort her and calm her down. Roxi was now wearing jeans and a hoodie. Her eyes were still vague and dull. She was still most upset, and was rather angry that her birth father had made her leave Dex's side, even if it was only for her to get a good night's sleep.

Ted, Fred, and Zeb, all wearing their usual outfits as well, were pacing around, not sure what to do. They didn't have a clue as to who to comfort: Trixie and Tennessee, or Henry. They were in shock themselves. They couldn't believe that this was happening again.

Not only had Beary and Jewel been kidnapped, but Dex had been shot, Tasha, James, and Jordan had been hurt, the hotel had burned down… etc. The list seemed endless.

A tenor-like voice spoke up, causing everyone but Henry to look up. "Excuse me, but this whole fiasco has just become a FBI case. I'm Special Agent Hathworth and I'll be leading this case. This is my team, Special Agents Manning and Stanley, and our negotiator, Special Agent Hathworth. And before you ask, she is not my wife. She's my sister."

Henry finally looked up and his hazel eyes widened. Standing in front of him were two bears and three humans. The male bear, an inch taller than the female, had cerulean blue eyes and semi-dark brown fur, as well as a lean figure. He wore a black unbuttoned business jacket, but no shirt underneath it; he also wore black jeans. To complete the ensemble, he wore a blue and white striped tie.

The female, on the other hand—or paw, as the case may be—wore a navy blue skirt and a white blouse. Her fur was light brown with a nearly white face. Her eyes were a beautiful forest green, but they held a degree of fierceness within them.

If Henry didn't know better, he would've said that she was Helen.

The others in the group must've seen the resemblance as well, because they all let out soft gasps.

The male bear went on speaking, saying something about how they planned to handle the case, but stopped when Henry spoke.

"K-Kaspian? K-Kenya? Is that really you?" he questioned as he began to stand. Al stood with him, his own eyes wide.

The two bears, surprised that someone other than their teammates knew their first names, looked at Henry and Al in confusion before their eyes widened in shock.

Both assembled groups looked at the four bears in confusion.

"Uncle… Henry? Uncle Al?" the she-bear asked, taking a step towards them. When both the males nodded, she moved quickly and wrapped her arms around the pair of them.

Henry and Al both chuckled before returning the hug.

Kenya released them a minute later, finally remembering that she was on duty. She glanced sheepishly at her older brother. "Sorry."

Kaspian grinned and glanced around at his fellow FBI agents, all of which were snickering. He looked back at his sister. "You're never going to live this down, you know." He moved towards his uncles and shook their paws. "You've gotten **_old_**."

Henry gave him a brief one-armed hug while Al just hung back a bit. "I resent that." Henry looked at them with a soft smile. "You've **_both_** grown taller… And you're both in the FBI… Jacob would be proud."

Al nodded in agreement.

Behind them, two people, one a bear and the other a human, cleared their throats.

"Care to introduce us?" Zeb and Agent Manning asked at the same time. They glanced at each other and grinned.

"Well, uh…" Henry glanced at his band before looking at Kaspian and Kenya, then back at the others. "This is Kaspian and Kenya Hathworth. They're my niece and nephew. They're Jacob's cubs." Seeing the confused looks, he sighed. "Jacob was Helen's twin, remember?"

"My younger brother," Al put in.

Kaspian looked at his team. "This is Henry Taylor. We haven't seen him in nine years."

Kenya looked at her uncle again. "Why **_are_** you here, Uncle? We were told that this was a case of attempted murder and kidnapping. We didn't expect you to be here!"

Henry's smile turned into a frown and he didn't answer.

Al, also, frowned and placed a paw on Henry's shoulder and gently squeezed.

Tennessee wrapped his arms around Trixie and held her against him. Everyone else frowned.

Al took a deep breath and spoke. "Beary was one of the cubs kidnapped."

Kaspian blinked. "Who?"

"Beary Henry Taylor. Henry and Helen's son…"

Kaspian's eyes widened and he shared a look with his sister. "His s-son…?" he questioned, startled.

"But… I thought you said…" Kenya broke off, super confused. She and Kaspian had both been told that their cousin had disappeared a long time ago. To find out that he had not only been found but was one of the kidnapped cubs was hard to believe.

"It'll take too long to explain," Ted stated.

Kaspian's blue eyes hardened. "We need to know **_everything_** that may or may not have to do with the case. You never know what might be an important clue as to who these people are and why they took the two cubs."

Henry let out a sigh and sat back down, Al next to him. "I don't even know where to begin…"

_.~*The Country Bears*~._

James Stone felt a tear roll down his cheek as he looked at the burns that covered his wife's body in several places. Thankfully, her face and neck had been spared the worst of the burns, only receiving first and just barely bordering second degree burns, but the rest of her wasn't so lucky. Her entire front torso was covered in second and third degree burns, as were her arms.

Her legs had been spared.

She was currently hooked up to several tubes and an oxygen tank. She had two IVs in one arm, and another in her other arm. She looked terrible.

However, the doctors weren't too sure if she was going to survive. It was a 50/50 chance that she would die.

James gently held her paw through the plastic that incased it, shielding it from any infection it might sustain. He also had to wear a surgical mask to prevent him from breathing on her in order to prevent any viruses he might have from infecting her.

Tasha had been completely out of it for the past two days. She had been in and out of surgery, for reasons he did not yet understand. There was a reason why he was a cop and she was a doctor.

"Oh, Tash… I'm so sorry…" he whispered as he gently squeezed her paw. "I… I should've gotten you out sooner." Another tear rolled down his cheek. "Oh, baby… Please… Please wake up. I can't live without you. Who's gonna hound me about getting the cabinets fixed or getting the bathroom refurbished? Who am I supposed make love to?" His shoulders shook with silent sobs. "I love you, Tasha… I can't raise Jordan and lil Erin by myself…"

Just the thought of his premature daughter, whom he also didn't know whether or not would survive, caused a torrent of tears to roll down his cheeks. They said she was healthy, but she was so small! He couldn't do anything but cry. "Oh, baby… Please… Please don't leave me…"

He didn't know how long he sat by her bed, crying. He didn't even hear the door open behind him.

Standing in the doorway was a short black she-bear. She looked tired and like she had been driving for days—smelled like it, too. She hadn't been able to get a flight to Salt Lake City, so she had indeed been driving for days. Her eyes were filled with sadness, worry, and even though she was still dressed in her work uniform—dress pants and a gray jacket—she now had surgical scrubs over the outfit. She reached out and put a paw on James' non-burnt shoulder.

"James?"

James physically jumped and turned in his wheelchair. "Jade? W-What are you doing here?" His eyes were still full of tears, but now they were wide and full of shock and surprise.

Jade Falco shook her head. "I got a phone call… I left the office and drove here all the way from Shelbyville… What… What happened?" Her green eyes look over at Tasha. She flinched at the sight and looked away. She hated seeing something like this; it was one of the reasons why she hated when Tasha would talk about her job as a doctor.

"Someone set the hotel on fire… To… To stop us from going after…" He broke off, unsure of how much his friend knew.

She looked at him concerned. "James…"

The police bear looked down for a moment, gathering his thoughts. "Beary and Jewel are gone," he said a little too bluntly.

Jade gasped and her eyes widened. "G-Gone?! As… As in… d-e-a-d?"

James shook his head. "Actually… I don't know… They… They were kidnapped from the hotel… The fire was set so we couldn't go after them…" He looked back at Tasha and gently rubbed his thumb over her paw.

If he had been turned around, he would have seen the flicker of anger that passed through her eyes. Thankfully, the face mask kept her mouth well hidden, hiding the fact that her lips were curled up in a snarl, and the beeping of the monitors masked the growl in her throat.

"Tasha… Her… Her water broke while she was in the bathroom… I… I went to take Jordan down to be with Jewel and Beary—apparently they went down for hot chocolate at midnight…" He trembled. "I went out into the hallway with Jordan and… People were running and screaming… There was smoke everywhere… I went back after Tasha… The… The bathroom door was stuck… Th-There was fire in the bathroom…" He broke off, unable to go on. His body shook violently. He tried to suppress his tears, but was failing.

Jade got down on one knee in front of him and hugged her friend, holding him tightly. She was allowing him to cry on his shoulder—something she never did—which he took full advantage of.

His sobs were heartbreaking and terrible. "I… I should've gotten her out of there… It's all my fault… I'm gonna lose both my girls because of my stupidity."

"None of this is your fault, James." She just held him, speaking softly into his ear.

James couldn't think of what to say to her, he was too upset. Finally, after a few minutes of tears, he whispered. "We… We have a daughter, Jade… We have a little girl… We finally got our wish."

She blinked. "What about Jewel, James?"

"She would be great if she were ours."

"What are you talking about?"

"Didn't we ever tell you?"

Trixie, wearing scrubs as well, walked in just then, unbeknownst to the two black bears. Her expression was upset, and she blinked at the sight of the black she-bear. She didn't recognize her. "Jewel is **_my_** daughter," she said hostilely.

Jade turned her head. "Huh?" Her eyes widened at the sight of the Jewel look-alike.

The golden she-bear glared at her. "Um… Who are you? And how do you know James?" She couldn't help but wonder if the she-bear was making a move on her brother-in-law.

"I'm a family friend. Jade Falco."

Trixie blinked, slightly confused at first, but then her eyes widened. "Oh! You're Tasha's friend! You're the one I called to look after Jordan since…" She looked down. "We're in no condition to be watching after Jordy…" She sighed. "Sorry. I didn't realize it was you."

James tilted his head and looked at her curiously. "Wait. You called her, Trix?"

"Didn't I just say that?"

James sighed. "Yes…"

"Well, then why'd ya ask?"

"I don't know…"

Jade shook her head. "Anyway…"

Trixie held out her paw. "I'm Trixie St. Cl—Sorry. Trixie O'Neal. I… just got married. Guess I'm still used to using my maiden name." She sighed. "I'm Tasha's sister."

The black she-bear blinked and looked at Trixie unsurely for a moment, wondering if she was telling the truth. "Never would have guessed," she said somewhat sarcastically. She didn't believe this she-bear at all. Not only did she not look anything like Tasha, but she certainly didn't act like her.

Trixie grinned. "I owe James and Tasha a lot. After all, they took care of my daughter when I couldn't." She didn't feel like explaining.

James, however, did. "Yeah. Trixie had to go find Tennessee." He began to explain how he and Tasha took in Jewel.

Jade listened in carefully and when her friend was done, she smirked. "So all those bad habits I taught her… I wasn't really torturing you guys in the long run, was I."

Trixie, confused, blinked. "Bad… Habits?"

James shook his head and chuckled.

Trixie placed her paws on her hips and glared at James. "What aren't you telling me?"

He gave her an innocent look, then looked at Jade and mouthed, "_I despise you._" He then grinned. "Jade, I'm sure you know Trixie from somewhere. I mean, she is Jewel's idol. She and the others are all Beary and Jewel talk about… And I know for a fact that those two little monsters have forced you to listen to one or two hundred CDs."

"Oh, you mean the band with the cute lead singer?" Jade asked innocently with a small grin.

Trixie's eyes widened. "Ted?! You're joking, right?"

"The very same," James answered.

Jade smirked. "Yup. I know her."

James grinned. "Oh, and Jewel's father is one of the other members. Maybe you'll meet him."

"Well, since Trixie said O'Neal, I'm guessing it's the crybaby."

"Yup," Trixie answered, totally agreeing with the fact that her husband was indeed a crybaby.

Jade shook her head, though she was amused that two members of Jewel's favorite band just happened to be her parents. It was ironic. "Rather meet Ted."

Trixie sighed. "I might be able to arr-"

A soft moan interrupted her.

James eyes widened. "Tasha?!"

Trixie moved over to her sister's bedside, and gently held her other paw. "Sis?" she asked softly. "Can you hear me, sis?"

Jade, too, moved towards her friend, concerned and relieved at the same time. "Tasha?"

Tasha's moan became louder until it became an all out scream of pain. Her back arched and the heart monitors began to go crazy.

"Shit!" James shouted. With a sudden burst of adrenaline, he stood up, completely forgetting that he had burned his legs and broke his ankle, and began to hold his wife down. "Tasha, calm down! Trix, get a doctor! **_NOW_**!"

Trixie immediately ran out of the room.

Jade didn't know what to do. She watched with wide eyes as James continued to hold his wife down. She only came to her senses moments later when James shouted at her, telling her to help him.

She immediately raced to the other side of Tasha's bed and carefully placed her paws on her fellow black she-bear's hips, holding her down as well. A few tears roll down her cheeks as she watched her best friend struggle against them. She felt so helpless. "Tasha… please…! You… You're gonna make it worse!" she cried.

"Tash, Tash! Listen to me!" James shouted, trying to regain control. "You're okay! Calm down! I'm here, baby! You're safe!"

Tasha focused on his voice, staring at him with wide eyes. Slowly, her struggles began to slow and she stopped her screaming. The monitors ceased their howling and began to fall back into a normal rhythm. Her breathing got slower and slower.

By that time, Trixie returned with two doctors and a nurse who immediately took charge.

James was forced back into his wheelchair, and all three adults were asked to leave the room. Trixie apologized and said she had to get back to the others and that she would be back soon. With that said, she quickly disappeared.

James watched the doctors talk to and take care of his wife through the window.

"Excuse me, Mr. Stone, but it's time for you to go back to your room," a kind-looking female human nurse said as she walked over to them.

He nodded. "But first, please take my friend here to my son. She's going to watch him until I'm able to get out of the hospital."

The nurse nodded.

James looked at Jade. "Please keep him safe… Tell him that his mother and I are going to be fine. Oh, and let him go see his baby sister in the nursery."

Jade smiled softly. "I will, James. I'll take him to see her before we leave for the hotel. You take care of yourself."

He chuckled. "Don't I always?"

"Haha. Yeah. Right." With that, she waved and was led away by the nurse.

James watched them leave for a few minutes before he turned his gaze back to the window, watching his wife once more. "Please, baby… Please be all right…" he whispered, beginning to say a silent prayer for her, their daughter, son, and niece. Oh, and he made sure to include Beary in his prayer.

Heaven knows that boy didn't need to go through whatever it was he was now going through.

"Take care of Jewel, Beary," he said softly. "I know you will…"

He didn't need to say his last thought out loud.

'_Come home safe..._'

.~*The Country Bears*~.

He sighed softly and slowly blinked, wondering why he was so warm. He attempted to shift positions, but found that his arms were wrapped around something. His eyes widened.

"Mmm… Beary… Don't move…" Jewel mumbled as she snuggled closer to his body. She still had her back to him and had her paws covering his. Her legs remained pulled up so that she was in a kind of fetal position.

Beary was still spooning her, and his snout continued to rest against her cheek. He was super confused, unsure of why he was sleeping next to her and holding her this way. He groaned and tried to pull away, convinced that Tennessee would kill him if he found them lying together like this, only to find that he couldn't remove his arms from around Jewel's abdomen. "What the…" It took him a moment to realize that he was chained up. He trembled slightly and held Jewel even tighter against his body. He could tell that she was chained up as well.

"Jewel. Jewel, wake up," he whispered. Getting no response, he tried a different tactic. He pulled away a bit and gently nibbled her ear.

Jewel cringed slightly, but grinned and moaned. "Beary?" she yawned. "Mmm… That feels so good, C-Bear…"

Beary blinked and grinned slightly. He was going to store that away for future reference. "Jewel… Gem, wake up…"

She yawned again and blinked. "What is it? I was having a good dream…" she asked as she slowly began to sit up, only to find she couldn't. "What on Earth?"

Beary sighed. "My arms are around you, Jewel. You can't move."

"Then why don't you let me go?"

"Because we're chained up, Jewel… We can't move, anyway."

The she-cub blinked several times, unsure if he was telling the truth. To test out what he said, she began to pull at her wrists, only to find that he was indeed correct. Immediately, her memories began to rise once again, reminding her of what had happened. "It… It wasn't a dream…" she whispered, her voice catching slightly.

"Shh, Jewel. It's gonna be okay… I'm gonna take care of you," he replied softly as he wondered how exactly he was gonna do it.

"B-Beary…" Jewel began, her voice suddenly terrified.

"What?"

She didn't get a chance to finish what she was going to say before the sliding door opened and two dark paws reached in, grabbing Jewel's ankle.

Jewel let out a scream as she was yanked out of Beary's arms. Beary let out a shout as well as the cuffs dug painfully into his wrists, drawing some blood.

He didn't have much time to shout as he, too, was pulled out of the vehicle roughly and thrown to the cold, hard cement floor. Something, or someone, held him down as a blindfold was wrapped around his head. Everything went dark.

Immediately, he began to struggle against his captors, Jewel's terrified screams giving him the strength he needed to fully break free. He reached up, pulled the blindfold off his face, and looked around frantically, trying to find Jewel.

He didn't notice that his captors barely fought back.

Jewel's eyes were blindfolded. She was down on her knees, not too far away from him, perhaps five feet. Her nose was barely an inch from the ground, and her shoulders shook with terrified sobs.

Beary began to crawl over to her, but was suddenly tackled to the ground. He hit the ground hard, his nose slamming into the pavement, earning a pained scream from the twelve-year-old. The blindfold was placed over his eyes once more. His new captors quickly uncuffed his arms from in front of him, before recuffing them behind his back.

He was pulled to his knees before someone kicked his ribs, causing him to double over in pain as tears leaked out of his eyes, soaking the blindfold. He was wheezing now as several more kicks were aimed at his midsection. Something warm, moist, and that had a coppery taste, dribbled down his chin, emanating from the inside of his mouth. He let out a small whimper.

"Wanna fight, do ya? You little brat!" one of his abusers, a female, spat at him before she kicked him again.

"Stop!" Jewel screamed. She could hear her friend's cries and whimpers, even if she couldn't see him. "You'll kill him!"

A soft touch on her on her cheek caused her to let out a terrified whimper as a soft, cruel voice whispered in her ear, "Don't you worry, pretty thang. We ain't forgettin' you." There was a deep chuckle as the paw caressed the she-cub's cheek. "Oh, yes. I can't wait to get a hold of you in a bedroom… Don't cry. It'll be fun."

The golden cub's eyes widened beneath the blindfold, and she let out a petrified whine as a pair of lips pressed against her cheek. She trembled as the lips continued on along the side of her snout, nearing her lips. A pair of paws began unbuttoning her coat as her salty tears began to soak the blindfold. She couldn't believe **_this_** was happening.

"Leave… her… **_alone_**…" a soft voice weakly growled. "You pervert…"

The lips pulled away from Jewel's snout and the paws removed themselves from her coat. Jewel broke down in loud sobs.

"Yeah, leave her alone, you 'pervert'," another voiced snickered. "You'll have plenty of time for **_that_** later."

There was laughter all around, echoing off the walls of the warehouse.

"Whatcha gonna do about it, kid?" the pervert asked sarcastically. "You belong to us, now. Well, until Derek arrives. We're gonna make a fortune sellin' you to him." He chuckled. "And this pretty thang… Well, Derek's got a score to settle with her whore of a mother. He's gonna pay a pretty penny for her."

Jewel was forced to look up as the captor gripped her snout tightly. She let out another whine.

"Leave her alone, you bastard!" Beary shouted. He suddenly let out another pained cry as another sharp kick was aimed at his ribs. Unlike the others ones, this one turned his cry into a scream as he fell on his side, curling up into the fetal position.

"Crap! I think you broke his ribs!" There was a loud **_smack_** and a soft female's voice spoke next to the injured cub. "Take it easy, kid. Uncurl yourself and let me see." Her gentle touches to his side were somewhat soothing and he very slowly began to uncurl, hissing in pain. "Shh…" she soothed as she ran her hands along his ribs.

"Bitch! Get away from him! He don't need yer help!" a rough voice snarled.

Beary whimpered as the gentle touches from the hands stopped right above his throbbing ribs.

"Well… They aren't broken. Looks like they might be fractured or bruised." The lady let out a startled cry as she was roughly pulled away.

"I **_said_**-" There was a menacing growl. "-he don't need yer help." The dull smack of flesh-hitting-flesh followed the growl, after which there was the sound of a body falling to the ground.

Both cubs were forced to stand, earning a pained scream from one, and walk across the cold floor. They were kicked and pushed by their captors, causing them to stumble, or, in Beary's case—since he was weakened at the moment and his leg was killing him—fall.

The second time he fell, Beary couldn't move. He was in too much pain. He whimpered and trembled, waiting for the blows he knew were coming.

Nothing happened.

For a moment, he dared to hope. For the briefest moment, he breathed easily and felt at peace.

That moment was shattered when a large hand gripped the light brown and black locks on his head and sharply yanked. The cub cried out and squirmed as he was dragged across the floor, trying to get out away from the pain.

"Stop yer bitchin'! Or does ya want me ta have some fun wit yer lil gurlf'iend now?!" the perverted captor questioned.

Jewel whimpered and squirmed away as the thick fingers of the bear tickled her under her chin. She could smell his fishy breath as his hot breaths got closer and closer to her face. A large paw held her snout in place, not letting her squirm away, while the other paw continued to unbutton her coat. She let out a high pitched whine.

"Stop! Don't touch her! I'll behave!" Beary cried. "Just leave her alone! Please!"

The paw let go of Jewel and the warm breath left her face. "Wise choice, slave. But ya can't stop what is to come. She will be mine. I plan on showin' her a good time!"

"Over my dead body."

The bear let out an angry growl. "Throw them in their cell until Derek gets here! Keep their collar and chain on them! No food or water! They will learn that they no longer have a say!"

Their handcuffs were taken off their wrists, and both cubs let out startled cries as they were roughly lifted into the air and thrown. Both hit the cold cement floor hard. Both were still bound and blindfolded.

Jewel winced when the door slammed shut behind them and the locks were put in place. She barely breathed as she listened, waiting for them to come back and hurt her and Beary some more. Her eyes widened under her blindfold. "B-Beary?" Her voice shook as she whispered his name, and she hated how weak and scared she sounded.

Faint wheezing and what sounded like covers and a body shifting was the only answer she received. The sound of bare feet, accompanied by the clicking of claws, padding across the cement floor followed, coming closer and closer with each step.

"B-Beary? Is… Is tha-that you?" she whispered.

The sound stopped and an awful smell overcame her senses. She screamed when a pair of paws fondled her face.

"Shh! You bren' zem backin here!" a soft, male voice whispered in her ear.

The she-cub forced herself to stop screaming as the blindfold was lifted over her head, letting her see again. Her eyes darted around frantically and she trembled as the paws slowly ran up and down her body in a very intimate way. "S-Stop! Le-Leave me alone!" she cried, squirming.

The paws stopped and Jewel immediately rolled onto her paws and knees. She moved as far away from the bear as she could, until she felt a familiar tugging at her neck. Fresh tears rolled down her cheeks. Why was this happening? Why now? What did these… these **_monsters_** want?

"You f'end 'urt. No ta'k. No move."

The harsh, broken English pulled her out of her thoughts and she slowly sat up looked around at her new "home".

The cell walls were bare and an ugly white color. There were no windows, but there was a large door—white in color so that it blended in with the rest of the room—covered in long scratches and dried blood. What looked like a small camera was attached to the ceiling. A single cot was set up in a corner with only a single blanket and no pillow. In another corner was a toilet and small sink. A single, dim light bulb in the ceiling provided the only source of light.

Her line of sight finally landed on the strange shape of her so-called rescuer leaning against the wall. His black fur was oily, grimy, and disgusting. His brown eyes were dull and lifeless, but he looked at her with lust. He was very thin and scrawny, and his ribs could clearly be seen. He appeared to be slightly older than she was. The only article of clothing he wore was a ragged piece of cloth that might've been, at one time, a potato sack, but now had two armholes and was split down the middle. He wore it like it was a vest.

Jewel diverted her gaze from him and shifted her focus onto the still form of her best friend. "B-Beary? C-Bear, can you hear me?" she asked, crawling over to him. The chain attached to both their collars dragged across the floor. Sitting up, she gently pulled off the blindfold and tossed it to the side while the male bear just watched. Jewel didn't pay much attention to him as she gently cupped her boyfriend's cheek. She lowered her head and brought it to rest against his. "Beary… Please wake up…" she whispered.

"J-Jewel… You… 'kay?"

A weak smile crossed her face and she chuckled softly as she lifted her head and looked into his pained-filled hazel eyes. "Oh, Beary…"

The other male bear crawled back to his cot, leaving the two younger cubs alone.

Jewel helped her friend roll onto his back, letting his unzipped hoodie fall open, and she knelt above his head, letting him use her lap as a pillow. She gently ran her paw along his chest and gripped his left paw with her free paw.

Beary slowly moved their held paws until they rested against his chest. His mouth was open slightly as he wheezed. His ribs throbbed something awful, but he forced himself to ignore it and looked into her eyes. "I won't… let them… touch you in… in **_that_** way…" he said between wheezes. "I'll die first…"

A few tears rolled down her snout and fell onto his face. "No, Beary. D-Don't-" She stopped when he placed a paw on her cheek.

"I promise…"

Jewel leaned forward and nuzzled his nose gently. She knew arguing with him was pointless. "Just be careful…"

Beary tilted his head back a little more and locked lips with her. "They won't take your innocence…" he murmured. His paw moved from her cheek to behind her head, pulling her mouth against his.

The golden she-cub moaned softly. Tears still fell from her eyes, but she no longer cared as she kissed him. Everything felt safe at the moment. She felt safe and secure for the first time in hours. "**_You're_** the only one I want…"

Neither noticed the male bear that watched them from the cot with lustful eyes.


	7. Chapter Six

.~*Chapter Six*~.

As Henry finished his tale, almost an hour later, he was met with silence.

Kaspian and Kenya, along with their teammates, took notes and asked questions about what they thought might be important information. They knew that not everything was important, but it was answering some of their personal questions about why they had never known about their cousin until three years after his birth. So far, not much seemed to tie in with the case, but there were some leads they could try to follow. They planned on looking up information about Adam Jackson and Reed Thimple, aka Benny Boggswaggle; perhaps one of their friends had gone after Beary as revenge?

When their uncle was finished, the siblings glanced at each other before looking at their uncle with mixed expressions. They couldn't believe all that had happened to the Taylor part of their family.

Kaspian bore a neutral expression as he spoke to Tennessee and Trixie. "Do you know any reason as to why someone would take your daughter?"

The newlyweds glanced at each other, both trying to think of a reason as to why their daughter had been kidnapped. They honestly hadn't thought of it. They'd just been blaming themselves for not having her stay in the room with them. They were also blaming James for not watching her properly.

Tennessee was blaming Beary for asking Jewel to go get some hot chocolate with him. It was past midnight! He should have been in bed, not going downstairs! He couldn't believe that the twelve-year-old had been so stupid!

Kenya looked at them both sadly. "Hey, anything might be important. Do you have any enemies?"

Trixie thought for a moment before her eyes widened. "Derek."

Zeb, Ted, and Fred blinked, slightly confused for a moment. They had all heard that name… but where?

Tennessee immediately gripped Trixie's paw tightly. "It can't be him, Trix. It's been eighteen years."

Kaspian looked at him. "Who is this Derek? Tell us everything."

With a soft sigh, Trixie and Tennessee began to tell their tale. Their story wasn't nearly as long as Henry's, but it was interesting and full of information.

The FBI team continued to take notes until the O'Neals finished.

Manning sighed. "Well, this is might be a revenge plot."

"But why would they take Beary and try to kill everyone else?" Stanley asked, looking at her. "To be honest, this sounds very familiar. It sounds like a case my father worked on about fifty years ago."

"What are you talking about, Ron?" Kenya asked.

"Actually, it involves your family; and yes, I know this is true because I was the one who looked up information on you both when you joined our team."

Both Hathworths blinked and looked at him confusion.

"One of your aunts. Lei Hathworth."

"But… We don't have any aunts named Lei… We only have one aunt on our father's side!" Kaspian complained.

Al finally spoke up. "That… isn't true. You have one other aunt, but I'm afraid she died a long time ago." His expression was distant and troubled. He hated talking about her.

"What are you talking about, Al?" Henry asked. "I thought you only had one sister!"

The great gray bear sighed. "I only had one **_adopted_** sister… Helen wouldn't remember Lei, as they never met each other… Lei was kidnapped when she was eleven from this very city with her best friend. It… It was why we became orphans." He took a deep breath. "Lei was my **_twin_** sister."

Blank stares met him.

Al groaned. "I'm ain't ready to tell this story." He shuddered. "It still hurts tah t'ink 'bout it." The truth was, he could barely remember his sister, as much as he hated to admit it. It broke his heart. The one thing that stood out in his memories about her, however, was the fight they had before she disappeared and their parents died. He couldn't remember what the fight had been about, but he had said he wished he'd never had a sister.

Stanley shook his head. "Like I said. This does sound like that case, but I will have to look up some more. If this is what I think it is… Then I believe I know what happened to the two cubs."

"We'll discuss this back at base." Kaspian looked at the other adults. "We'll be back later if we learn anything. For now, stay here." With that, the FBI team took their leave.

"Where else would we go?" Ted muttered before stalking off.

Fred watched his older brother go before sighing. He glanced at Zeb, who also looked rather annoyed. He could see that Zeb seemed to be struggling with something in his mind. He just hoped it wasn't because he was tempted to get a drink. He had seen that expression on the former honeyaholic's face way too many times.

As innocently as possible, he began to make his way over to the auburn bear. "Zeb," he whispered. "You ain't thinkin' 'bout takin' a swig, are ya?"

Zeb blinked and looked at him in surprise. "No! Never!"

Fred studied his expression for a moment before nodding. "Good. That's the last thang we need." He looked around at the somber group sadly. "I can't believe this happened… Can you?"

The fiddler looked at him slightly confused as to why Fred asked him this when the answer was obvious. "No, I can't believe it, either, Fred. I don't think any of us can."

"We just got my lil buddy back…" Fred didn't care if Beary had actually been found months ago. To him, it felt like yesterday. Besides, Beary had finally begun acting like his old self, but who knows what this latest development would do to his already fragile self. Being kidnapped last year had truly traumatized him. And now Jewel had been taken, too… '_Well, at least they'll be together_,' he thought to himself. '_That much we can be grateful for._'

By the time he returned from his thoughts and looked around, Zeb had disappeared, as had Trixie and Tennessee. Only Henry and Al remained, besides himself. Figuring that they wanted to be left alone to think about things, he took his leave.

.~*The Country Bears*~.

"Dex? Dex, baby… can you hear me?" Roxi asked softly, gently squeezing his hand.

She couldn't stand seeing him like this, all pale and lifeless. He had yet to wake, even though it had been two days since he had been admitted to the hospital. The anesthetic should have worn off by now, but obviously, it hadn't.

His injuries hadn't been as severe as everyone had thought. It had be a straight-through shot that went through his shoulder—shattering the bone—but what had caused the loss of blood was that the bullet had nicked his Subclavian artery.

He had barely gotten to the hospital in time. It was a miracle that he was still alive.

"Come on, Dexter. Do I have to kiss my prince charming so he'll wake?" Roxi whispered, gently brushing a loose strand of hair out of his face. His hair was no longer spiky, but was flat on his head in long strands of brown and metallic blue. She knew very well that he hated having his hair like this, but she couldn't convince his nurse to let her bring in any gel to fix up his hair properly.

"It's… Dex…" came the super soft reply, so quiet that she almost missed it. "And… that… would be… nice…"

Roxi's ice blue eyes widen for a moment before filling with tears. She looked into his playful chocolate brown eyes and smiled through her tears. "Dex, I swear," she whispered, beginning to reach for the call button.

"Don't."

The female punk blinked and looked at him in surprise.

"W-Water…"

She nodded and quickly poured a glass from the pitcher, and placed a bendy straw in it. She brought it up to his lips and watched as he drank greedily. "Easy, handsome. Don't want you to choke."

Dex grimaced and Roxi pulled the glass away from him. "Dex? Are you okay?" she asked, panicking slightly.

"Brain freeze… That stuff is freakin' cold!"

The seventeen-year-old couldn't help but laugh loudly for a long two minutes. It felt so good to laugh again.

Her laughter woke her father, who had been sleeping in a chair on the far side of the room. Roadie blinked and looked at the bed, wondering what his daughter was laughing at. Seeing that Dex was awake and responsive, he jumped up. "Hey, sport! How ya feelin'?"

"Gah, Roadie… I've told you to not call me that…" the eighteen-year-old pouted childishly.

Roadie shook his head in exasperation. "Well… too bad," he grinned. He laughed as well when Dex stuck his tongue out at him.

Dex sighed and looked around. "What happened?"

Those two words caused father and daughter to fall silent and look at each other, then at the bedridden teen sadly.

The Barrington knew then and there that something horrible was going on. He tried to sit up, only to find that one of his arms was immobilized. "What the hell…?" he wondered aloud.

Roadie sighed and pressed the button, allowing the bed to rise to a sixty degree angle instead of a 180º angle. "We finally got a hold of your parents… they'll be here on the next flight."

"What. Happened."

Roxi felt her eyes fill with tears once again as a flood of memories filled her mind. She truly wished she could just flick a switch and stop the flood, but it wasn't possible.

Dex looked at her with concern, his hand now beginning to lose feeling due to how hard Roxi was holding it. "Rox, what happened? All I remember was being in the hot tub with you… Then Beary and Jewel showed up… Did I slip on the water when I got out chasing them?"

No matter how much she wished that was what happened, she knew she had to tell him the truth. "No, baby… You… You were shot…"

He looked at her, trying to see if she was joking with him. "All right. Where are Beary and Jewel? They hiding under the bed? You're all playing a joke on me, aren't you?" he said loudly. "Come on out, you two! I know you're here!"

Roxi looked at her father sadly, then at her boyfriend. "Dex… Dexter, they… they're gone…"

"What are you talking about? No they aren't!" Part of him knew she was telling the truth. That part of him remembered everything. The other part of him denied it. His baby brother and little "sister" couldn't be gone. If… If they were, then it was all his fault, something he couldn't handle. He placed his only free hand on his head after yanking it away from Roxi. "No, no, no, no, no!"

"Dex, stop!" she cried, grabbing for his hand again and tried to pull it away from his head, but was failing. "It wasn't your fault!" Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed that her father had pressed the call button. She returned her focus on her boyfriend. "Baby, the kidnappers shot you! You couldn't fight back!"

Roadie, seeing that the bedridden patient was beginning to get angry, pulled his daughter away from the bed, intent on getting her out of the room.

"Get out! Get **_out_**!" Dex shouted. He didn't want her near him. He wanted to be left alone! He reached over to the nightstand, grabbed the empty glass, and threw it against the wall near where Roadie had pulled Roxi. It shattered into a million pieces.

Roxi let out a startled shriek and jumped away from the wall with her father, who was shielding her from the glass shards.

Roadie didn't wait for the doctors to come in before he pulled his daughter out of the room, leaving the angry teen alone in the room. Out in the hallway, he held his crying teenage daughter close to him, gently rocking her side to side. The last time he had held her like this was over ten years ago. It was hard to believe that his little girl had grown up so much…He didn't get to see her as often as he'd liked, but they had formed a tight father/daughter bond.

A soft sigh escaped his lips as he tried his best to calm her down. "It's going to be okay, Roxanne… It's going to be okay," he whispered.

"I just want everything to go back to the way it was…"

"Someday… Everything will be normal again… I promise."

She snuggled into his warm hold and just let her tears flow.

_.~*The Country Bears*~._

"I assume since you called us down here, you found out something," Tennessee said a few hours later. It was evening now, and only Henry, Al, Tennessee, and Trixie came to the lobby. Currently, they were sitting in the dining room, with the door tightly shut.

The others had disappeared. There was a bar in the hotel, and they knew that Ted and Fred had gone in, but Zeb wasn't anywhere to be found.

Al looked at his niece and nephew curiously. "Wha did ya learn?" he asked. He sat next to Henry on one couch; Trixie and Tennessee were on the other couch, clutching each other tightly.

Kenya and Kaspian sighed. They didn't know what to say to them, how to explain what they found out.

Stanley looked at his two teammates sadly. "Well, since it was my father's case, I guess I'll explain." He went over to the nearest armchair and sat down. He twiddled his thumbs for a moment as he gathered his thoughts. With a soft sigh, he began. "Fifty years ago, there was fire that killed Anne and Robert Claybourne, and their son, Derek Claybourne, went missing. That same night, another fire—just down the block—killed Alexandra and Andrew Williams. Their daughter, Lei, went missing, but their son ended up in the hospital from severe smoke inhalation and second degree burns." He looked directly at Al when he said this.

Al, however, looked away. He didn't want to hear this at all. He couldn't face his memories. With a small growl, he got up and left the room.

Everyone watched him go with sad expressions.

Trixie looked at the human once more. "Please, tell us what this has to do with my daughter's disappearance…"

Stanley nodded and went on. "The FBI was brought in, but we couldn't find the two missing cubs. However, after a few days, a video tape was sent to us…" He broke off for a moment, trying to figure out how to go on. "In the video, we were told by the kidnappers that the two cubs had been sold on the black market as… as slaves. They even had a recording of the auction."

Henry's eyes widened to the fullest degree. "S-SAY WHAT?!" he shouted at the same time Tennessee demanded the same thing.

The human sighed. "It's a good thing Mr. Hathworth left the room… No one ever told him. He was told his sister was dead, which she probably is by now."

Manning finally spoke. "You see, once something or someone is sold on the black market… they are rarely seen again. We never found either cub. The case went cold… until today."

"Not only that, but the two cases are very similar in so many ways. The kidnappers killed, or, in this case, **_attempted_** to kill, their victims' families so that no one can go after them," Kenya put in.

"The bottom line is that we believe this may be what happened to your daughter and your son," Kaspian went on. "We won't know for sure unless the kidnappers make contact. But you must be prepared for the possibility that your cubs are about to be sold on the black market as slaves. Possibly used for… certain situations... Prostitution."

Trixie stood and looked like she wanted to take a swing at one of them, but didn't get a chance before she collapsed to the ground in a dead faint.

_.~*~._

"_Trixie? Trix, can you hear me, baby?_"

She moaned and blinked. Light brown eyes set in a brown furred faced looked at her with concern. "Tenny?" she whispered, slowly sitting up and placing a paw against her forehead. "What happened?" She looked around in confusion. She was in hers and Tennessee's room, sitting on their bed.

Tennessee was sitting on the edge of the bed, leaning back slightly and holding her paw, his thumb gently stroking her golden fur. He looked at his bride with both relief and sadness in his eyes. "You passed out, love," he replied softly. "You've been out of it all night. Henry helped me carry you up here."

Trixie blinked. "Well, obviously I feel asleep, Tenny. My bad," she grinned. She leaned over and kissed him, wrapping her arm around his neck.

He immediately fell into her spell and returned the kiss. He began to move closer to her as he kissed her over and over again. "Oh, baby," he whispered, nuzzling her gently.

She continued to draw him in, backing up on the bed and pulling him closer to her. "Come on, Tenny… Show me how much you love me…" she said sultrily as she lay on her back.

The brown bear grinned at the thought and began to cover her body with his own. His fingers found their way towards her coat, which be began to push off of her shoulders while she pushed his vest off and threw it on the floor. He felt Trixie biting his neck and grinned as he nibbled her ear.

He wanted another cub. He wanted a sibling for Jewel—His eyes widened and he backed off of Trixie, who looked at him in confusion. He knelt by her feet and looked at her sadly.

"Tenny? What's wrong?" she asked, sitting up.

"We shouldn't do this… not when our baby girl is… is missing," he whispered.

Trixie's eyes widened. She couldn't believe she had forgotten all about her daughter and what had happened to her. "Oh, Ursute…" Her forest green eyes filled with tears. "My… My baby…"

He immediately scooted closer to her and pulled her into his arms. He was mentally cursing himself for forgetting his daughter. "I know, Trix… I know," he whispered as he rubbed her back.

Her arms bent under his armpits and her claws dug into the top of his shoulders as she cried. "Th-They're g-going to… Going to…"

Tennessee could no longer hold back his tears as he thought about his daughter, his baby girl, must be going through at the hands—or paws—of those… Those bastards. "Beary isn't goin' to let them touch her…" he said softly.

For some reason, however, he had a hard time believing it. What could a twelve-year-old epil-

His eyes widened in horror.

He had forgotten that Beary was an epileptic. He didn't have his medication.

Any one of his seizures could kill him.

He wouldn't be able to protect Jewel if he was dead.

.~*The Country Bears*~.

Henry sat on the edge of his hotel bed, leaning forward slightly. His hazel eyes stared sightlessly at the pill bottle he held loosely in his paw; his other paw was keeping his head up.

The name on the bottle was Beary Barrington. The medication was for his epilepsy. The pills he needed to take **_every_** day.

Henry had kept a spare pill bottle in the bus, just in case the other one went missing. He was holding the spare bottle now, as the other had been destroyed in the fire… along with so many other things, such as Beary's sketchbook and guitar.

Renee Daka, now Renee DeSoto, had told them that they couldn't find what was causing the seizures. In fact, she didn't even realize that he still had had seizures until about two weeks after the cub had been released from the hospital after waking from his six month coma.

Tuesday, January 27th, 2004 had been one of the most terrifying days of Henry's life…

**F****LASHBAC****K**

_"How you doing, kiddo?" Henry asked quietly as he walked into the room that his son was using while he recovered from his long hospital stay. He was still recovering his strength and would get tired very easily. _

_The room itself was bare, with only a dresser, bed, chair, and nightstand in it. There didn't seem to be any bit of personality anywhere in the semi-small room. Dex had promised his younger brother that he would bring some of Beary's posters and other stuff over so that Beary could add some personality to the room._

_Henry glanced at the windows, one of which was open._

_Beary was lying on his stomach on the bed, facing parallel to the doorway. His black sketch book was open in front of him, and he held a long thick pencil in his right paw. His expression was carefree, yet concentrated, as the pencil moved across the paper in rhythmic pattern. The eleven-year-old was wearing a black t-shirt, dark green cargo pants, and his trademark gray hoodie, which was wide open. He didn't even notice the elder bear entering the room._

_Henry leaned against the doorframe with a small smile on his face as he watched his son carefully sketch. His memories drifted back to when the light brown cub used to draw multiple scribbling and give them to his father whenever Henry was able to come visit him and Helen._

_A single tear rolled down his cheek as he remembered how lively his son had been all those years ago. How wonderful it had felt to have his wife and child… to hold them and hug them…_

_Unconsciously, he reached into his vest pocket and fingered the small velvet pouch he held in it. He could feel the two rings that were within the pouch. They were his and Helen's wedding rings, and he kept them with him at all times, but he knew one day he would give them to Beary. There was a third ring, albeit much smaller. It had been made when they found out they were having a cub… '_Oh, Helen… I miss you, honey…_' he thought to himself. _

_He was pulled out of his thoughts fifteen minutes later when Beary set down his pencil and closed the sketchbook, sliding it forward on the bed. He then crossed his arms and rested his head on them, his head facing the open window. He let out a soft sigh._

_Henry removed his paw from his pocket and cleared his throat, announcing his presence to the young bear. He frowned when the cub jumped and looked at him with wide eyes that were filled with terror. '_Oh, kiddo…_' he thought sadly. '_What have they done to you…?_'_

_Beary, once seeing that it was only Henry, calmed down. "Oh. Hi, Hen—I mean, Dad," he said softly, grinning slightly._

_Henry walked towards him and sat on the edge of the bed, turning his upper body so that he could look at his son. It still surprised him that Beary had known that Henry was his biological father. It had definitely been a shocker._

_The cub turned on his side and looked at his father curiously. "How long were you s-standing there?" he questioned, his voice breaking slightly, causing him to frown and grimace._

_The pepper furred bear frowned again, but decided to ignore the roughness in the cub's voice. "A while. I was watching you draw."_

_Beary blinked and rolled all the way onto his back, tucking his paws behind his head. He looked at his father. "You w-were? Why?" His voice broke again and growled softly._

_"Well, it was interesting and soothing. May I look at it?"_

_"Sure. It's for Jewel as a b-birthday present tomorrow… I-I j-just f-finished it."_

_Henry smiled softly and picked up the black book, flipping it open to the middle. He glanced out of the corner of his eye and saw that Beary had closed his eyes. He returned his gaze to the book in his paws and studied the pencil sketch with semi-wide eyes._

_The center of the page had a semi-large _12_, surrounded by twelve small images of a cub, starting with an infant, followed by a toddler, and at fifth picture, another cub joined in. The rest of the images were of the two cubs either reading a book, sitting under a tree, or curled up together in the grass. The newest one was of one of the cubs lying on a hospital bed, being embraced by the other cub._

_"Stuff I've b-been told, and my o-own m-mem-memories from k-kin-kindergarten and e-every y-year a-after t-tha-that," Beary said softly._

_"Beary… These are very **good**!"_

_"It's n-nothing special…"_

_"No, kiddo. I'm _**impressed**_. Jewel will love it."_

_The light brown cub didn't reply._

_Henry flipped through the rest of the sketch book in silence. He closed it five minutes later, set it back on the bed, and looked at his son. "Well, you've shown me something; now… let me show you something…" Henry didn't know if Beary would even be interested in what he had to show him._

_The cub opened his eyes and looked at his father. "What?"_

_The elder father looked at him for a moment before reaching into his vest pocket and pulled out the small velvet bag out of his vest. It took every bit of strength he had to say the next few words. "Beary, I… I want you to have something… Keep it with you. It's a symbol of your mother's and my love." He slowly held it out to the eleven-year-old. "Maybe someday, you'll give it to your fiancé."_

_Beary, blushing, sat up and took the velvet bag. He slowly opened it, carefully dumping the contents into his paw, and looked at them with confusion before his eyes widened. "D-Dad… T-This is…"_

_"Helen's and my wedding rings. Someday, they'll be yours."_

_Beary looked at the smaller ring. "Wait… What's this, then?"_

_Henry carefully picked up the smaller ring, which was silver, and held it in his own paw. "This, Beary, was made when we found out we were having a cub."_

_"But why?"_

_The pepper furred bear scratched the back of his head. "Well… actually… It was meant for you when you got older. Look at the word written on it."_

_The cub looked and blinked. The word "Taylor" was etched on the outside of the silver ring. He stayed silent for a long minute, contemplating this, before he nodded. "It… It was so I… I would know where… Where I came from and… and who my parents were…" he whispered._

_Henry smiled. "Yes… I think that was what Helen wanted…"_

_Beary placed the other two rings back into the velvet pouch and handed it to his father. He then took the silver ring and placed it on his right ring finger, with the "Taylor" facing up. "I'll keep it always. Though, I may get a chain and wear it as a necklace. You know, like Frodo in the "_Lord of the Rings_"?"_

_Henry laughed and hugged his son. "I'm glad you like it, Beary…"_

_After a moment or two, Beary's stomach growled, causing the father and son to laugh._

_They broke apart and both stood. Henry walked out into the hallway while Beary followed behind, albeit more slowly. _

_Beary stopped in the doorway and grimaced, a sudden headache making itself known. "Ugh… go away…" he moaned softly._

_Henry blinked and turned. "Huh?" He looked at his son's pained expression. "Beary, are you okay?"_

_After a moment, Beary answered. "I'm fine…" He shook his head. "W-What's for l-lu-lunch?"_

_"Uh… Chicken noodle so—BEARY!" Henry shouted when his young son slumped against the doorframe and began to fall to the ground._

_The elder bear immediately rushed to his son and caught him as the cub fell forwards. "Beary?!" he demanded as he lowered the eleven-year-old to the floor. Beary's body was jerking and twitching, and his eyes were closed. Some drool dribbled down his chin._

_Henry didn't know what to do. He had never dealt with anything like this. He could only watch helplessly as the jerking and twitching intensified. _

_No one else was around. They had all gone out; where exactly, Henry didn't know. There was only one thing to do: He had to call Renee Daka._

_Leaving his son convulsing on the floor, he raced down the hallway towards the living room, intent on grabbing the portable phone. Once he had it, he dialed the doctor's cell phone and practically sprinted back to his son._

_"_Hello? Henry?_" Renee asked on the other end of the line. There was the sound of a vehicle in the background._

_"Dr. Daka, he's having a seizure!" The father knelt next to his son and lifted his head off the floor._

_"_What?! I'm almost there, Hen. ETA is three minutes._"_

_Henry blinked. "Huh?"_

_"_I was coming to check on him today, remember? Now, put something under his head and move anything that may hurt him. Is he conscious?_"_

_"No, he-" the bear broke off when the seizure suddenly came to a halt. He placed a paw on his son's shoulders and gently shook them. "Beary? Son, can you hear me?" Getting no response, he placed his free paw on the cub's chest._

_It didn't rise._

_"_Henry? Henry, what's going on?_"_

_Henry dropped the phone and lowered his ear to Beary's snout. His eyes widened when he didn't feel any breaths against his ear. "Beary…? Oh, Ursute…" He felt for a pulse and swore when he didn't find one. "Renee, he's not breathing and he doesn't have a pulse!" he shouted, hoping she could hear him._

_Apparently she had, because she shouted back something about starting CPR._

_Henry, however, was no longer listening as he began chest compressions._

32:2

_That's all that ran through his mind. Thirty-two compressions to every two breaths._

_He didn't even notice Renee storming into the house, carrying a medical bag with her. His focus was completely on resurrecting his son. He was just about to start his fourth set of compressions when he noticed Beary's chest rise on its own._

_"We got him back, Hen," Renee said, startling him._

_He glanced at her and saw her put a stethoscope on the unconscious cub's chest and listen carefully. He watched as she took vitals and checked pupil reaction._

_The entire time, he couldn't stop his tears from falling._

_.~*~._

_By the time the ambulance arrived nearly twenty minutes later, Beary was wide awake, ashamed, depressed, and fearful._

_The shame, Henry and Renee could understand: Beary, during his "episode", hadn't been able to control his bowels, causing him to have an accident. Henry had cleaned him up and put him in new clothes._

_The fear, too, they could comprehend. Who wouldn't be afraid after something like that?_

_The depression, however, they couldn't._

_Beary stared at the ceiling of the ambulance with empty eyes. Sitting on the bench to his left was Henry and Renee. Henry was holding his paw and gently caressing his cheek, doing his best to sooth him. Renee was checking the eleven-year-old's vitals._

_"Hey, kiddo," Henry said softly, looking directly into his eyes. "It's okay." _

_"I… a f'eak," the cub whispered, his speech messing up slightly. He growled in frustration._

_"No you aren't. Stop that," Renee chastised before Henry had a chance to open his mouth. "You're just ill."_

_Beary looked away from them, tears forming in his eyes. A soft whimper left his lips. "Head… hur'z…" he mumbled, his eyelids drooping. "'ired…"_

_Renee patted his cheek. "Nuh-uh, kiddo. Not until we find out what's causing these seizures. We're almost at the hospital. Try to stay awake for me, okay?"_

_"'kay…"_

_She looked at Henry. "This can't be his first attack. He's been off the medications for two weeks. I kept him on them while he was still at the hospital as a precaution."_

_"No, no… I don't think he's had any…"_

_"No spacing out, confusion, seeming to not hear you, staring, stiffening-"_

_"Wait! A couple of times, yes. I've noticed him doing those things. He always seemed so tired afterwards." He frowned. "We thought nothing of it. Now I see we were fools for ignoring it for so long."_

_"Don't beat yourself up, Henry. Just remember that you saved his life today." _

_The elder bear's eyes focused once again on his son and he gently stroked the light brown locks on top of the cub's head. "Hey, don't you go to sleep yet, son," he said when he saw the eyes closing again._

_"Yeah, Beary. We want to see those handsome eyes," Renee went on._

_"'ook at 'is," the cub muttered, his speech pattern still irregular. "Same t'ing."_

_The doctor grinned. "Well, at least you still have your sense of humor."_

_.~*~._

_Henry twiddled his thumbs as he nervously sat in the waiting room, staring at the floor. He had been sitting here for nearly an hour._

_As soon as they had gotten to the hospital, Renee had taken Beary upstairs. Henry had called Allison and Norbert Barrington, who said they would pick up Dex from school before they joined Henry at the hospital._

_For now, however, Henry was alone with his thoughts. His terror. His undying worry he felt for his son. Beary had only been out of the hospital for two weeks, and already he was back in._

_It just wasn't fair._

_"Henry?" a soft voice asked._

_The father looked up at the three humans that made up Beary's adoptive family. Dex stood in front of his parents, his eyes filled with fear. Norbert was holding his wife in his arms._

_"What happened?" Allison asked._

_Henry repeated the same thing he had told them over the phone. "He had a seizure," he softly answered. "Apparently, he's been having them for a while. This one was the worse."_

_"Why the hell weren't we told?!" Norbert demanded, his voice nearly a shout._

_"We just realized what they were, Mr. Barrington," a voice behind the group of humans replied. "Henry was not at fault here. The symptoms would be hard to recognize if you don't expect it."_

_The Barringtons turned and looked at the newcomer._

_"Dr. Daka, how is he doing?" Norbert asked, his voice much softer and calmer._

_"Resting for now," the female doctor answered. "We're going to keep him for a while and continue running an EEG. Hopefully that will tell us what exactly is going on in his brain."_

_"W-What do you think it is?" Allison whispered._

_"Please, sit down first."_

_The Barrington family sat on either side of Henry—Dex to his right, Allison and Norbert to his left—and all looked at the doctor with worried and anxious expressions._

_Renee sighed. "We will have to wait for the tests to confirm this, but I'm ninety percent sure I know what is going on." She took a deep breath and went on. "I believe that the poison used on him six months ago and the coma combined did something to his brain. The seizures will continue."_

_"Meaning what?" Dex asked, speaking for the first time since his arrival._

_"Beary is an epileptic. Judging by what happened earlier, his seizures could be deadly."_

_Allison broke down into tears…_

**E****N****D F****LASHBAC****K**

A knock at the door pulled him out of his memory. "It's open," he called softly. He had left the hotel room door propped open by having the lock out before closing the door.

The pepper furred bear sighed, not looking up to greet his guest. A few tears rolled down his cheeks as he continued to stare at the pill bottle that contained the little miracles that between life and death for his son.

"I hope you aren't planning on taking those, Uncle," Kenya's soft voice said.

Henry's shoulders trembled slightly as he chuckled darkly, placing the bottle on the nightstand between his and Al's bed. Al wasn't in the room—he had gone down to the bar with the others.

"I could never take those pills," he answered. "They decide life and death."

The Helen lookalike—with slightly darker fur—sat on Al's bed, across from her uncle. "That's why I said don't-"

"They're Beary's." Henry looked up at her with sad eyes. "There's something I forgot to tell you."

"What? What are the pills for?"

"Your cousin… is an epileptic. His seizures could be minor at first, but they will get much worse. They… They could kill him…" he whispered. "We… We're still trying to control the attacks…"

Kenya's eyes widened in disbelief. She reached out and gently squeezed his paw. "We'll get him back before that happens. And before he and his friend are **_touched_**."

"How? How are you doing to find them? It's impossible!" he said bitterly.

"**_Nothing_** is impossible." She smirked. "You and Aunt Helen wouldn't have had a cub, remember? You tried for twenty years. They said it was **_impossible._**"

"Our little scientific impossibility," Henry chuckled softly, shaking his head in exasperation. "Well, at least that's what he calls himself. He's quite proud of it."

The she-bear giggled. "He sounds like an amazing cub. I can't wait to meet this 'scientific impossibility' named 'Beary'." She blinked. "I have a question."

"Shoot."

"Why the hell did you name him 'Beary'? I mean, what the hell were you and Aunt Helen thinking?!"

Henry couldn't control the laughter that exploded from him. "I've been wondering the same thing for many years."

.~*The Country Bears*~.

He awoke to the room being freezing, cold, and dark. He blinked and sat up. "Jewel?" he whispered, clutching his side as his ribs throbbed painfully. He crossed his legs, and looked around.

"I-I'm s-s-so c-co-cold…" a voice stammered.

Beary turned his head and saw the faint outline of a shivering form lying next to him. "Jewel?"

Jewel was curled up in the fetal position, her arms wrapped around her shaking form. Her coat didn't do much to help her stay warm. Without sleeves, it was useless. Even with fur, the cold air that pumped in through the vents was terrible. There was even frost on the walls, and he could see his breath.

He slowly pulled off his jacket, wincing as he did so, and draped it over her. Almost immediately, the cool air chilled him as a small shiver traveled through his body. Jewel was right; it **_was_** cold. He should've worn a shirt under his jacket.

Jewel blinked when she felt something being draped over her. She felt the material and her eyes widened when she realized it was Beary's jacket. She looked up at him with a small frown. "B-Beary…" she whispered, sitting up, still holding the jacket around her shoulders.

He glanced at her and shifted positions so that he was facing her. A soft gasp of pain escaped his lips and he placed a paw on his side. "Ow… Damn it…"

The golden she-cub scooted closer to him, gently placed a paw on his paw that was on his side, and softly squeezed it. "It's my f-fault y-you're h-hu-hurt," she whispered, shivering slightly. "I-If I w-wasn't h-here…"

"I wo-would've still go-gotten h-hurt." He used his free paw to lift her chin so he could look into her eyes. "I w-would've got-gotten hurt t-trying to get b-back ho-home to you." Seeing the tears that forming in her eyes, he shook his head. "Don't cry, Jewel. I d-don't l-like it," he said, wiping away the stray tear that rolled down her cheek.

Jewel nodded and hastily wiped away her tears. She noticed that her boyfriend was shivering despite his semi-thick fur; Beary's light brown fur was thicker than hers, so seeing him shiver like that made her frown. Suddenly, she had an idea. She pulled off the jacket and handed it to him.

He blinked. "J-Jewel, w-what a-are y-you-"

"Put it back on. I have an idea on how to keep **_both_** of us warm." She waited until he got the gray jacket back on—he hissed a couple of times doing so—before crawling onto his lap and sitting with her back pressed against his stomach. She rested her head against his shoulder. "Hold me, Beary," she whispered, shifting slightly as she tried to get comfortable. Finally, she turned sideways in his lap and pressed her snout against his cheek, her nose buried in his ear.

Beary, stunned at the positions they were in, didn't move. His eyes widened when he felt her teeth against his ear, gently nibbling his fur and skin. "J-Jewel, what **_are_** you **_doing_**?!" he breathed as warmth spread throughout his body—he was totally embarrassed.

Her snout moved away from his ear. "T-Trying to s-stay w-warm."

He blinked. "By c-chewing my ear?!" he squeaked, looking into her eyes through the darkness.

Jewel giggled and wrapped her arms around his neck. Even though the cell they were in was dark, she could see his hazel eyes and the fierce love within them. "L-Let's m-make use of the time we h-have to-together. W-We don't know wh-when t-they-" She didn't get a chance to finish talking before Beary wrapped his arms around her waist and drew her in for a deep kiss. Her eyes widened for a moment before she closed them and sank into the kiss, moaning as she deepened it further. Her teeth found his bottom lip and she began to nibble.

Beary, moaning as his teeth bit her upper lip, slowly began to lie back, taking the she-cub with him as his paws traveled up and down her back. He could feel her bare chest fur rubbing against his own—Jewel had never rebuttoned her coat, which had been unbuttoned halfway because of one of their captors—and it made him feel crazy. Already he felt much warmer. Sure, his ribs hurt like hell, but he didn't care. All that mattered was this moment.

They continued to make out, getting further and further along, up to the point where Beary was beginning to push Jewel's coat off while she moved one of her paws under his shorts and began to slowly push them down while the other paw remained tangled up in Beary's light brown and black locks of hair, roughly tugging on them. Their kisses got more hungry and needy. They moved against each other fiercely, biting, growling, moaning, and kissing each other like wild animals. They **_needed_** each other… needed to feel each other in the most personal way… It was as if a primal instinct was taking over.

All that stopped when a loud voice spoke up, ending everything before it could get **_that_** far.

"You no need much t'ainin'. You is p'etty good at it. A bit mow an' you be 'eady."

The twelve-year-olds broke apart, removing their paws from where they had come to rest—both of which were below the waist—sat up, and looked around, trying to pinpoint the owner of the voice. Finally, their eyes—fully adjusted to the darkness—saw the huddled figure of their cellmate on his cot.

"W-What are you t-talking about?" Jewel asked, glancing at Beary, who now just held her in his arms; she was back to sitting sideways on his lap, her arms pulled up against her chest.

The male shifted positions on the cot and sat up, keeping the blanket draped around his shoulders. "You be good at fo'ep'ay."

Beary blinked. "Huh?"

"Fo'ep'ay. Befo'e you 'ave 'ex."

The cubs' eyes widened and they both blushed considerably, realizing what they had almost done. Jewel quickly fixed her coat and rebuttoned it; Beary pulled his shorts up all the way—they had only come down a little past his waist, about a third of the way down his hips, thankfully it hadn't been all the way down. He never would have forgiven himself if they had. He couldn't believe he had lost control like that.

Neither could believe that they had nearly done **_it_**. They were only **_twelve_**, and they had nearly taken each others virginity! Tennessee had been right. Bonding was not something that cubs should be messing around with. They weren't ready for a relationship.

Jewel began to move off of Beary, thoroughly embarrassed, but what the older bear said next caused her to rush back to her boyfriend's arms.

"No wor'y. Mas'er be 'weet when him t'ain you. Af'er, you be t'ken to you new mas'er," the bear stated before sighing softly. "Me Mas'er wanna sell me. Say me no good no mow." He looked directly at Jewel, his anger filling the air. "Him want you. Him wan ta make many cubs wit you."

Beary pulled Jewel back into his arms, refusing to let her go. Jewel let out a terrified whine as tears rolled down her cheeks in torrents. Her body violently shook. "No… No…" she whispered, her voice shaking. Her breathing intensified drastically, getting shallower and faster. "No!"

"Him be-"

"**_SHUT UP_**!" Beary snarled angrily, feeling more fury in his body than he had ever felt before. "JUST SHUT UP! NO ONE IS GOING TO TAKE HER AWAY FROM ME!" He turned his focus on Jewel. "Jewel. Jewel, calm down! Don't listen to him! He doesn't know what he's talking about!" He began to rock her back and forth, holding her like he would a newborn. "I made you a promise… I will **_not_** let anyone take your innocence." He brought her head against his chest and held it there with one paw. "I won't let them…" he whispered as he rested his chin on her head, a few tears rolling down his cheeks.

Jewel just continued to cry in his arms.

**_.~*The Country Bears*~._**

Lei Hathworth looked away from the video screen, disgusted at what she had just seen and heard.

She had just witnessed two cubs nearly take each others virginity.

It felt as if she was watching herself from a long, long time ago. She remembered when she and Derek had been forced to take each others innocence. At first, they had been reluctant and had backed down from the task several times, coming close but never fully making it.

That is, until almost two weeks after their capture… when they either had to take each others virginity or they would be sold off separately.

They were only eleven when they became mates. They didn't have a child until they were fourteen. Derek, however, had been forced onto several older she-cubs and had gotten one after the other pregnant, as ordered by their former owner.

She knew this was the fate that awaited the young male she watched on the television screen, which showed the room the two cubs were in via a night vision camera. She knew full well that the she-cub he had been brought in with wouldn't be able to support a pregnancy until she was at least thirteen or fourteen.

A twelve-year-old getting pregnant was very, very rare, and those pregnancies usually ended in miscarriages.

"Look at 'em, Lei-Lei… Zey is pe'fect… Zey al'eady wan each ozzur."

She turned her head and looked at her mate. "Derek… They're too young."

The panda shook his head. "We was youngah." He replayed the tape, studying the two cubs and listening to their conversation again. "Hm… Zey is ready."

"Derek!"

The two mates turned and looked at the large polar bear that approached them, accompanied by two humans, a male and a female. "Here's the team that brought them in."

Derek looked at the two humans. "Good job. You will be paid."

"Actually, that is why we are here, sir," the female said with a sly smile. "You see, one of those cubs, the female, is worth more to you."

Derek blinked and glanced at his gray furred mate, Lei.

"You might even not want to retire when we tell you who she is," the male said, grinning. He nodded at the polar bear, who pressed a button.

Derek and Lei turned and looked at the screen, watching as the light in the room came on and the night vision went off the camera. Lei honestly didn't see why Derek would be so interested, but her mate, on the other hand, blinked.

"T'ixie?" the male bear questioned, moving closer to the small monitor and studied the scared cubs closely. "Can't be…"

"She isn't Trixie," the male said, moving next to the panda. "That's her daughter. Hers and that one guy that took her away from you."

The silver she-bear's eyes narrowed dangerously. So, this was the offspring of one of Derek's girlfriends?

The sixty-one-year-old panda seemed to have forgotten that his mate was in the room with him as he placed a finger on the screen. "She look juzz like 'er…" he whispered. He blinked and turned when he heard an angry growl from behind him. "Lei-Lei…"

"Don't you "Lei-Lei" me, you bastard!" she shrieked, absolutely furious. She poked him in the chest. "Just how many girlfriends have you had?! Wasn't all your other "mates" enough for you?! Wasn't I?!" A few tears trickled down her cheeks as she looked at him angrily. "How could you?! Your job was one thing, and I know for a fact that she isn't part of your job! How could you betray me like that?! I thought you loved me! Was that a lie, too?!"

He looked at his fellow sixty-one-year-old, shocked. He hadn't meant for Lei to ever find out about his life outside of his job or to find out about Trixie—which had been a one-time thing. A hobby. Once Trixie had been taken from him, he never went out with another. He had no other friends outside of his "job".

He didn't get a chance to say anything before she stormed out of the room, but not before she yelled back into the room, "Those two are going home!"

The polar bear growled and looked at the two humans. "Kill her before she sets them fre—Ack!" Blood dribbled down his chin and he fell forward, bleeding from a long, deep knife wound in his back, where blood was literally gurgling out. Within minutes, his eyes glazed over.

The two humans looked at Derek, shocked. "You… You killed him…" The female whispered, shocked.

"If ya touch Lei, ya'll meet the same fate!" he snarled dangerously, brandishing the bloody blade in front of him. "Ya'll be paid da arranged p'ice! Ya wan mow, zen go talk ta Josh T'imple!"

They stood still and watched as he stormed out of the room. They did indeed plan on talking to the guy who had hired them to take the two cubs. They wanted their money.

Josh Thimple better give it to them.


	8. Chapter Seven

.~*Chapter Seven*~.

Norbert Barrington looked at his wife, who was sitting next to him on the plane sadly. He could see the tears rolling down her cheeks, though she tried to hide them. "Ally… We're gonna find them and bring them home… They have the FBI on the case, sweetheart."

The redhead turned her head and looked at him. "That's bull and you know it, Norbert," she cried, her shoulders shaking. "We're never going to find them!"

He pulled her into his arms and gently rocked her side to side. He understood perfectly why she was so upset. Allison and Beary had always had a close mother/son relationship. For her to find out that her baby boy, albeit adopted, had been kidnapped and her birth son had been shot… It would be a bit much for any mother to handle.

He gently rubbed her back. "Hey, Ally… Can you remember when we first met Beary?" he asked softly.

Allison nodded slowly and laughed quietly as she remembered the fateful meeting. It was something she would never forget…

**F****LASHBAC****K**

_"Will, now, tell us again why you called us out here. Did you say-"_

_"Yes. I am completely serious."_

_"No. You must be joking. Where's his parents?"_

_"We don't know. He was just wandering around. The point is we can't have him living here. I would take him, but Claire said I couldn't bring him home. I had no other choice."_

_"But what makes you so sure we would want to take him?" Norbert asked. "Where is he, anyway?"_

_Will Turner glanced around before his eyes fell upon a lump in his armchair. "Over there," he said, pointing. "He's sleeping."_

_Both Allison and Norbert turned and looked at where he was pointing, but all they could see was a blanket that was crumpled up and looking like a lump. _

_Allison sighed and went over to the blanket. She picked it up and began folding it properly. "Honestly, Will. One would think that you knew how to fold up a-" She suddenly froze and looked at what had been under the blanket._

_A small, light brown bear cub was curled up like a cat on the chair, sound asleep. He didn't wear anything, save for a white collar around his neck. His face was so light that it appeared white in color. His entire body appeared to be covered in scratches and numerous patches of fur were missing._

_She dropped the blanket and it fell in a heap on the floor. "Is… Is that…"_

_The park ranger nodded. "That's Beary. From what he told us, he just turned three on May 25th. All we got out of him was that his name was Beary, how old he was, and when his birthday is. That's it. He's very quiet."_

_Norbert studied the cub for a moment. "What happened to him?"_

_"Well, we don't know if he was abused or not. Then again, we found him wandering around, so he probably got himself stuck in a bramble bush."_

_" Have you even looked for his moth-"_

_"His mother's dead."_

_Allison turned and looked at her friend, shocked. "W-What?"_

_"A hiker found the body just before you got here. We called the cops and they'll be out here soon." He sighed. "There wasn't any father around, so… Looks like the cub is an orphan with no family to look after him. If the cops come here, they'll take him to the orphanage."_

_Allison looked at Norbert before she walked outside, gesturing for him to follow her._

_Once outside, she looked directly into his eyes. "We have to take him!"_

_"Ally, no. How would Dex react? I mean, a bear cub being raised by humans? He should go to the orphanage."_

_"No!" she shrieked. "What if he does have a father? Why can't we just take care of him until his father comes?"_

_He placed a hand on her shoulder. "Ally… You heard Will. He might have been abused. If the mother is dead, then it was probably the father that abused him. He should go to an orphanage and-"_

_"What he needs right now is the love and support of a family! We can't deny him that, Norbert… It wouldn't be fair." She looked in through the window, watching the sleeping cub. "Please, Norbert… Just for a little while…"_

_He thought for a long while before finally nodding. "Just until someone from his family comes to claim him. But we are _**not**_ keeping him."_

_The redhead wrapped her arms around him. "Thank you, Norbert…" she whispered._

**~Time Skip~**

_"Mom!" Dex shrieked as he ran towards the car and got in, settling into the back seat like usual. At eight-years-old, the young Barrington was excessively hyper. "Where we gonna go for vacation?"_

_Allison turned in her seat and looked at him. "Hey, baby."_

_"Mom… Don't call me "baby"," he pouted._

_"Sorry, honey."_

_"So, where are we—AH! WHAT IS IT?!"_

_Allison glanced at Norbert, who shook his head and started the car, before looking at her son. "This is Beary, honey. He's going to be staying with us for a while."_

_Dex eyed the sleeping three-year-old unsurely. His eyes were focused on the tiny fangs that appeared when the small cub opened his mouth and yawned. "Is he going to eat me?"_

_The mother shook her head and giggled. "No, honey. He's not going to eat you." _

_In his seat, Norbert was quietly snickering._

_"Then… What is he doing here? Make him go away! I don't like him!" the human child cried._

_"Dexter, be quiet! You'll wake him!"_

_He blinked and looked at her with confusion, surprised that his mother had just snapped at him. She had never done so before!_

_Allison immediately realized what she had done and quickly apologized. "I'm sorry, honey. I didn't mean to shout."_

_The eight-year-old immediately pouted and stared out the window. He wasn't going to forgive her so easily…_

**E****N****D F****LASHBAC****K**

Allison sighed, not wanting to remember any more. She didn't want to start crying again.

Beary had always been a mama's boy; that much was obvious. Whenever he got hurt, or someone shouted at him, Allison was quick to come to his rescue. Whenever she needed something done, he was always the first to volunteer to help. He was so sweet, gentle, and kind… He loved his adopted family, and they loved him.

Norbert looked at her. "Ally, we're gonna find them…" he whispered, hoping she wouldn't snap at him again.

"I know, Norbert… I know…" She sighed, not wanting to talk about her missing son any longer. She knew it would just make her cry.

"Dex it going to be okay, too, you know," he added, making sure that Allison didn't forget their other son. "He's tough…"

She glanced at him sadly, but didn't say anything. She just couldn't. With a soft sigh, she turned her head and looked out the plane window, watching the puffs of clouds that passed by.

**_.~*The Country Bears*~._**

Everyone was gathered in a meeting room at the police station. They were all seated around a long table. It was four days after the fire and the kidnapping of Beary and Jewel.

The huge room was basically bare, save for a big screen TV, the table, desk, chairs, and occupants.

Tennessee, Trixie, Allison, Norbert, Henry, and Al were in the room along with the FBI team; only immediate family had been asked to come. Thankfully, the room was big enough to hold them all.

Allison and Norbert had come here straight from the airport; they hadn't had a chance to go visit Dex yet, but were going to go the hospital afterwards. They had been welcomed with hugs and tears. They currently were seated next to Henry and Al.

Tennessee took a deep breath. He was still upset by what happened last night and vowed that if Zeb Zoober ever came near his wife again, he would die.

Zeb had gone back on his vow to not drink. The results had been disastrous. He had tried to force himself onto Trixie, who had come down to the bar, looking for him.

Tennessee had found Zeb cornering Trixie and had beaten the crap out of him. He told Zeb if he ever saw him near Trixie again… there would be hell to pay.

It was a good thing the fiddler wasn't here. He was currently locked in his hotel room, refusing to come out.

"I assume you found something," Trixie said softly, still shaken up about what happened the previous night. She leaned against her husband, just wanting him to hold her, which he did. He gently rubbed her arm as he held her against him.

Across the table, Allison and Norbert were holding each other for support. They couldn't believe that this was happening again.

Next to them, Al was watching Henry nervously twist a piece of paper for reasons he didn't know. He wasn't even sure if Henry even knew what he was doing.

Kaspian took a deep breath and began to speak. "They've contacted us."

Every non-FBI person in the room turned to look at him in confusion for a couple moments before they realized what he was talking about.

"W-What?!" Allison gasped, her eyes wide.

Kenya nodded. "They've sent us a video streaming live right now. We've been watching it for about thirty minutes while we waited for you all to arrive. Beary and Jewel are alive, and they're together."

Trixie immediately clutched Tennessee's arm; Allison's nails dug into both Henry's paws and Norbert's hands; Al began to twiddle his thumbs nervously.

Kenya nodded to her teammate, Stanley. "Turn it on," she said.

The human turned and pressed the ON button for the TV.

_Beary was sitting in the corner of the white cement room, one of his legs bent outwards, and the other, his healing leg, outstretched. His head was leaned back against the wall, and his arms were under his coat, which was lying across his body. His fur was filthy and covered with grime._

_He looked like he was sleeping._

_There was also a cot visible on the screen, with no one sleeping in it. It was odd that Beary wasn't using it._

"B-Beary…" Henry breathed, echoed by Norbert and Allison.

"W-Where's Jewel?" Trixie whispered, her eyes filling with tears. "Where's my b-baby?"

Tennessee glared at the FBI team. "I thought you said they were together!" he snarled.

Kenya looked at her older brother. "What happened? Where'd she go?" she questioned.

Kaspian blinked and looked at Manning. "Susan, you were watching it on your computer while we went to meet the others at the door. Where'd she go?"

Manning smiled softly. "Just watch. She's there."

_Beary's jacket shifted positions and a golden snout peeked out from the top of the gray jacket. Beary himself looked down with a small smile. _

_The snout pressed against Beary's chin, the nose rubbing against his chin before sliding up and pressing against his cheek. The top of the jacket slid down, revealing Jewel's golden head._

_She moved her head so that her head was resting against his chest, the bridge of her snout pressing against Beary's. Beary, in turn, lowered his head ever so slightly, gently spooning her head with his own. He gently rocked her side to side._

"**_Must_** she be sitting on his lap?" Tennessee complained, noticing the position his daughter was in.

"Judging by the fact that we can see their breath," Kenya interjected as she looked at the brown bear, "I would say that the room they're in is rather cold."

"It would also appear that he gave her his jacket," Kaspian went on.

"Thank you, captain obvious," Tennessee mumbled, annoyed.

The dark bear raised an eyebrow at him before going on. "She's probably returning the favor and using her body to keep him warm."

"Their only source of heat is each other," Susan Manning finished. "Would you rather have them freeze to death, Mr. O'Neal?"

"**_NO!_**" the thang player practically shouted. "I… I just wish it was in a different way. In a less… **_physical_** way."

"I'm sure if that was possible, they would," Trixie said softly, tears still matting her cheek fur.

Tennessee looked at her, and was about to comment on her statement, but Al interrupted him.

"What are they lookin' at?" he asked.

_Beary was glaring at something off screen. His lips were drawn back in a dangerous snarl and his arms moved out from beneath the jacket. He wrapped them around Jewel and the jacket._

_Jewel was trembling in his arms, shrinking back against him as she, too, looked at something—or some_**one**_—off screen._

_"_**Ya as pu'ty as ya mozah, Ms. O'Neal**,"_ a voice sneered. "_**How is ya who'e of a mozah doin'? Muz nawt miz ya if she ain't find ya yet. Muz nawt wan 'er basta'd cub.**"

_Jewel whimpered and curled up further in Beary's arms. "_**My m-mother… l-loves me…**"_ she whispered, though it sounded as if she wasn't sure, either._

_"_**Zat's why she '**_ban'ond_** ya wit ya aunt. She no luv ya. She ne'er did.**"

Trixie growled at the screen. "You son of a bit-"

"Trix, he can't hear you," Tennessee said softly. He, too, was glaring at the screen, wanting to just jump into the video and kill the monster that was tormenting his daughter.

"**Shut the hell up,**" _Beary snarled. "_**You don't know **_anything_** about Jewel **_or_** Trixie.**_"_

_"_**Boy, I zink ya s'all shut ya t'ap befow ya git hu't. I know mow den ya t'ink.**_"_

_Beary scoffed._

_"_**I used ta date 'er. Eighteen yew ago.**"

Trixie's eyes widened. "D-Derek…"

Tennessee growled angrily. "That son of a bitch… If he touches my daughter, I'll-" he didn't get a chance to finish his statement before Beary said something incredibly stupid.

"**Maybe it was your unintelligence that made her leave you for Tennessee,**" _Beary suggested cheekily. _"**She probably realized that she didn't need someone as stupid as you in her life.**_"_

_A loud growl answered the cub and a figure entered the image. It was a panda wearing only a gray vest. The way he was walking with his legs spread apart made it look like he was showing off his "family jewels". His back was to the camera._

_Beary turned Jewel's head so that her face was against chest, and turned his own gaze away. He was still growling at the panda._

_The black and white bear, identified as Derek, snarled at the cub as he reached out, tightly gripped Beary's hair, and yanked hard._

Henry let out a dangerous growl at his son's pained cry.

"You bastard!" Allison shouted, earning several surprised looks from the others in the room.

_Beary was forced to look up at his tormentor. His scrunched up face was clearly seen, and his teeth were bared. _

_"_**Ya lil fuggah!**_" the panda shouted at him, earning a grimace from the cub. "_**Ya wanna be whipped?!**"

_Beary spit in his face, earning a roar of rage from the panda. He was released before being backhanded across the face. He didn't cry out this time, but continued to glare directly at the panda._

_Jewel whimpered in his arms, absolutely terrified. "_**L-Le-leave h-him al-alone**_," she whispered._

_Derek looked at her with a strange expression on his face. He softly spoke to her. "_**Look at me, golden angel. I ain't gonna hu't him. He's worth too much.**_"_

_Beary suddenly grinned. _"**I'm priceless.**"

_Jewel couldn't help herself as she started to giggle._

Henry and Allison both grinned while Norbert just facepalmed.

"He would," Al said, smiling.

Tennessee didn't say anything, but inwardly, he was grinning.

Trixie, laughing, spoke. "I can't wait to tell the others about this one."

Allison nodded. "Dex would love it," she agreed.

_The panda glared at him for a moment before grinning slightly. "_**I like ya, boy. Ya got sum wit.**"

_Beary did a little mock bow with his head._

_"_**Ya'll be an interestin' breedah…**_"_

_The twelve-year-olds both blinked and looked at the panda in confusion, but got no further response as Derek walked out of the room._

Allison turned her head and looked at the others in confusion and horror. "Did… Did he just say "breeder"?"

All anyone could do was nod slowly.

.~*The Country Bears*~.

As he exited the room and closed the door, he glanced to his left and saw Lei looking at him, slightly amused and slightly angered.

"Lei-Lei… T'ixie wasn't anythin' mow dan a passin' craze. I no wan her," he said softly after a few minutes. He reached out and gently stroked her paw. "Baby, I'm sowi. Ya the only one I wan."

The silver she-bear continued to glare at him for a few moments, never removing her paw from his grasp, before she looked at the TV screen on the wall, watching the two cubs. "I don't care about that, Derek… Not right now. Maybe you'll have to prove yourself to me later," she said softly, glancing at him.

Derek grinned. "I will, baby. I p'omise. We'll bring da cubs home latah on tonaht." He leaned over and gently kissed her lips.

She returned the kiss, deepening it ever so slightly, and grinned. "Screw waiting. Where's the nearest bed?"

He smiled, picked her up so that he was cradling her in his arms, and began walking down the hallway, still kissing her.

Neither noticed the return of Beary and Jewel's cellmate, nor the dark figure that watched them from the shadows.

.~*~.

"That… was weird," Beary commented, cocking his head to the side after the panda left. He glanced down at Jewel, who was still in his lap, and smiled. "You okay?"

"I'm fine, C-Bear." Jewel reached up and gently touched his cheek. "A-Are **_you_** okay?" she asked softly when he winced.

"I'll be fine, Jewel," he whispered. "You hit harder than he does."

She blinked. "I've never hit you."

"Kindergarten. I stole your crayons. You just about gave me a black eye."

"Oh, right."

They fell into silence for the next minute or so before Jewel spoke again. "B-Beary… What did he mean when he called you a breeder?"

He shrugged, unsure. "No idea."

She sighed and rested her head against his chest once more, loving the feel of his fur against hers. "You should not wear a shirt more often," she whispered.

He immediately blushed. "Jewel!" he laughed, still embarrassed at her statement.

She wrapped her arms around his torso and sighed once more, this time with content. "You're warm…" She didn't need the jacket to keep warm when she had him.

Beary buried his nose in her hair, taking in her scent. She always smelled like the outside world after a storm; fresh. He grinned slightly and stretched his other leg out before giving her a small kiss on the head.

The door suddenly opened, and their cellmate, Mark, was thrown in, looking like he had been severely abused. He smelled strange, too. His scent was mixed with another's.

They watched him in silence for a moment before curling up further in each others arms. They never liked him, and they didn't want to give him any reason to hurt them.

Mark coughed as he stood up. He growled angrily as he turned his head and looked at the two younger cubs. "Mas'er say I dis'ppoin' him. Says zat ya be bettah." He focused his gaze directly on Jewel. He moved over to his cot and pulled it a few feet away from the wall.

Beary's lips drew back in a snarl and he held Jewel tightly. "Stay away from us."

Mark growled at him and he began stalking towards them. "Don't tell me wha ta do!" he shouted, bringing his foot down hard on Beary's non-injured leg.

There was a sharp **_crack_**, followed by Beary's explosive scream of pain.

.~*The Country Bears*~.

Henry's head turned so fast back towards the monitor that his neck cracked. He had only taken his eyes off the screen for a second, and now his son was screaming bloody murder.

Allison and Norbert were both screaming all sorts of profanities at the monitor; Al was, as well. Trixie and Tennessee could barely contain their rage.

They knew that Beary's other leg had just been broken.

_Jewel moved off of Beary's lap and held his paws tightly, trying to calm him down. She grabbed his jacket and forced him to bite down on it. "_**Beary! Calm down! Stop moving!**_" she cried, moving her paws from his and began to gently feel his leg._

_Beary was doing the best he could to stop from screaming. He was clenching his paws so tightly that he was drawing blood._

_Jewel touched the area where Mark had slammed his foot down on Beary's leg, being extra careful. Suddenly, she let out a shriek as she was pulled away from him and into Mark's arms._

_The black bear gripped Jewel's arm, holding her against his body so that she was facing him. He was almost twice her size; Jewel's head only came up to his chest._

_She looked up at him, absolutely terrified._

_Beary was in no condition to help her, he was still in a hell of a lot of pain. His mind, in fact, was clouded from it._

Everyone in the room was up and shouting at the TV screen. Well, everyone but the FBI team, who were doing their best to keep from doing the same thing.

_With his free paw, Mark gently stroked Jewel's cheek. "_**Ya vewy pu'ty…**_" he said softly. "_**I get ya 'eady fo Mas'er. Him be 'appy den.**_" He grinned at her with a sick expression on his face. _

_Jewel looked at him with terror as she was pulled farther and farther away from Beary before she was forced against the wall. The chain between her collar and Beary's had reached its limit._

"That sick, perverted, son of a bitch!" Tennessee shouted. "If he-" He wasn't able to go on, because Jewel's scream interrupted him.

_Jewel let out a petrified scream and started struggling violently as Mark's free paw—the one that had been stroking her cheek—traveled down her body and came to rest between her legs._

_The she-cub whimpered and whined as her eyes filled with tears. She could hear Beary snarling, and could tell that he was moving, due to the slight tugging on her collar._

_"_**'ike zat, does ya?**_" He moved his paw to her outer thigh and lifted her leg to his hip. He the pressed his pelvis against hers. "_**Don' t'y ta get 'way. Ya 'ike it… Ya wan me 'nzide ya,**_" he growled softly, beginning to lift her other leg onto his hip as he got her into position for him to take her innocence._

_Jewel was sobbing loudly and mentally cursing herself for not wearing shorts and a t-shirt instead of her coat to bed the night she and Beary had been kidnapped. The way her robe was designed was that the buttons ended just above her legs, allowing her to move her legs freely. She knew her attacker was using this to his advantage as he spread the coat apart. _

_A million thoughts raced through her mind as she felt him rub his lower area against her. She had wanted to give herself to Beary, let him be her one and only, when they were old enough, but it looked like that wouldn't happened as she felt Mark move away slightly. She knew he was about to do the terrible deed that would bind her to him for life. "_**N-No! Beary!**_" Even as she cried for his help, she knew there wasn't anything he could do when both his legs were injured._

Everyone in the room could only watch the scene unfold on the monitor with tear-filled eyes. Even Allison and Norbert stopped their cussing as they watched.

Tennessee had never felt as helpless as he did now. His baby girl, who was only **_twelve_**, was about to be **_raped_** in front of his very eyes. It was like witnessing what nearly happened to his wife all over again.

Next to him, Trixie was crying her heart out. She couldn't believe this was happening. It couldn't be happening. It had to be nightmare. Her daughter was about to go through the very thing that Tennessee had saved Trixie from eighteen years ago… It wasn't fair.

Everyone in the room was praying for a miracle.

_Mark suddenly was pulled away form Jewel before he could violate her, and was tackled to the ground._

_Jewel slid to the floor and curled up in the fetal position, trembling and sobbing loudly._

_Beary, in a whole hell of a lot of pain, had somehow gotten up and tackled his cellmate to the ground. He was snarling dangerously as he punched the pervert several times. He was like another person as he spat out vulgar words and hit the attacker harder and harder each time. "_**YOU FUGGING PERVERT! DON'T YOU TOUCH HER! SHE'S MINE!**_"_

All eyes widened when they saw the normally gently cub go completely mental. None of them—excluding the FBI team, who didn't really know him—had ever seen Beary act this way before.

Tennessee couldn't help but feel grateful for Beary being with his daughter. All his anger at the cub vanished immediately as he watched him defend the golden she-cub. Though, he was a bit annoyed with the way Beary had claimed that Jewel was his. Considering the situation the two cubs were in, it just wasn't the right statement.

Trixie still felt as if she was watching a memory play out in real time. Henry was in complete shock. Al was startled. Allison and Norbert were horrified that their adopted son acted so… animal like.

_Mark and Beary continued to fight until the cell door opened and a large, well toned brown bear entered the room, absolutely furious._

_He held a whip in his arms and cracked it in the air before bringing it down on the two fighters. "_**Wanna fight, do ya?! I'll teach ya ta not fight!**_"_

_Immediately, Beary and Mark cried out and separated. Mark raced over to his cot and curled up on it. He trembled violently._

_The newcomer turned his gaze on Beary and he growled. "_**I was watchin' ya. I know ya started the fight!**_"_

_Beary's eyes filled with terror and he moved as fast as possible to cover Jewel's body with his own. He didn't want her to be punished for what he did. Jewel let out a shriek as she was pulled down next to him and covered with his body._

_No sooner had Beary covered his friend than did the whip with a metal tip come down hard and fast on his bare back._

Henry had to close his eyes and look away as his son screamed in pain. Each crack of the whip and the sound of the metal tip striking flesh tore at his heart strings. Each pained scream shook his already fragile heart.

Tears streamed down Allison's cheeks as she continued to watch the horror on the TV screen. She couldn't tear her eyes away from it. She refused to do so, even though both Henry and Norbert had. She had to remain strong, even though it was killing her to do so.

Norbert couldn't believe this was happening. His adopted son was being tortured for protecting his best friend. He kept his eyes closed and wished he could block out the sound of the screams.

Al stayed silent. He didn't know what to say or do. Never before had he witnessed anything so inhumane.

Kaspian, Kenya, Manning, and Stanley couldn't believe what they were seeing. Sure, they were used to stuff like this, but not as it happened! They usually saw the wounds **_after_** they had been inflicted… and usually on the dead body.

Trixie was trembling violently in her chair. She could barely believe what she saw in front of her face. It was… No, it **_had_** to be a nightmare.

Tennessee couldn't take his eyes off the screen. He couldn't get the haunting words Beary had said only a few days ago out of his head.

_"I will _**never**_ let anything happen to her. I _**promise**_."_

Now hearing Beary's screams and watching a pool of blood forming under the cub's body from the long, deep cuts in his back, he regretted making Beary make **_that_** promise. '_What have I done…?_' he silently wondered.

.~*The Country Bears*~.

Beary's screams began to die out as he began to lose his grip on consciousness. But even through his pain, he kept his bleeding body wrapped around the sobbing and trembling Jewel.

Jewel's head was bent forward and was pressed tight against Beary's chest. Her arms were bent up against her chest, as were her legs. Even though Beary was shielding her, she could still pain from the metal tip as it struck her side every few cracks, earning a scream from her. Blood was staining her fur already.

"YA LIL' FUGGAH! I'LL TEACH YA TA NOT FIGHT!" the grizzly screeched as he brought the whip down on the two cubs. Blood splattered everywhere.

On his cot, Mark was grinning up a storm. He liked how this turned out, even though he also knew he was going to get a beating later on from the grizzly. This grizzly was his master, and he couldn't wait to be touched by him. He _needed_ his touch.

_.~*~._

"Oh, Derek!" Lei moaned as a shudder ran through her body. She bit at his neck viciously, truly happy for the first time in a long time. Every time they had been together in a bed, it was nothing less than pleasure and sweet. She loved him, and she knew he loved her.

As Derek finished, he sighed with content and rested his head on her bare chest, listening to her heartbeat; he loved hearing it. "Lei-Lei… Soon… Soon we be livin' in da count'y… Juzz us and no one else…"

She lifted her head and looked at him. "Derek… Can… Can we…"

He rolled over on his side, taking her with him, and looked into her eyes. "Wha, Lei-Lei?"

She gathered her thoughts for a few moments before opening her mouth. However, she didn't get a chance to speak before the room door was forced open and a human ran in.

"Derek! That new boy and Thrasher's slave started fighting! Thrasher's gone mental and is attacking the new kid! He's attacking those two new cubs of yours! He won't let up and I don't think your boy can last much longer!"

Both of them sat up on the bed—Lei actually shrieked, grabbed their clothes, and covered herself with them—and looked at the human in shock.

Derek grabbed his vest from Lei and quickly put it on; Lei did the same, pulling on her clothes as fast as possible. As one, they got off the bed and followed the human down the hallway.

The panda moved past the human and entered the room with Lei right behind him. Immediately, he grabbed the whip from the grizzly and threw it to the ground before tackling and pinning the grizzly to the ground. "Ya son of a beetch! Ya 'ave no 'ight ta touch dem!" he shouted angrily. "Zey ain't yows!"

"Shut up, ol' man! Ya ain't mah boss! I'm yours! I own ya!" the grizzly shouted.

"No, ya fazzur owned us," Derek growled softly as he dug his elbow into the grizzly's back. "And he ain't a'ound no mow."

Thrasher snarled at him. "I got ya when he died!"

"Shut up!" The panda, after clobbering him, then looked over at Lei, who was currently checking over the two new cubs, and shouted. "Lei-Lei! Git zem out of hew!"

She glanced back at him and nodded before carefully picking up and cradled the badly injured Beary in her arms. "Come on, girl."

Jewel let out a shriek as Beary was pulled away from her. "NO! LEAVE HIM ALONE!" she screamed, pulling on Beary's arm.

"Knock it off before you hurt him even more, girl. Get up. You're getting out of here," Lei growled, rather annoyed at the she-cub.

Jewel knew better than to argue, and knew that she better trust the she-bear. Trembling still, she got up on shaky legs, gathered Beary's jacket in her arms, and moved to follow the she-bear out of the room.

Mark, seeing that she was leaving, got up and pushed her down on the cot before covering her with his body. "Ya ain't leavin till I 'ave some fun wit ya!" he shouted.

Jewel let out another scream that was cut off as the black bear forced his tongue in her mouth and began rubbing his pelvis against hers. A high-pitched whine escaped her throat as she tried to struggle away from him, only to earn a vicious punch to the head from him. Her world immediately went dark.

Lei turned and, as quick as a flash, lashed out at the black bear with her foot. "Get off of her, you bastard!" she shouted, furious. Her foot connected with his head; the force of the blow sending him off of both Jewel and the cot. He crashed into the wall and didn't move.

The she-bear, seeing that Jewel wasn't moving, snarled dangerously. "Derek! Get her!"

Derek clobbered Thrasher once in the head, leaving the grizzly stunned, before moving over to the cot and picked up the unconscious she-cub, cradling her in his arms along with the gray jacket. "Fuggin' basta'ds," he snarled at Thrasher and Mark before following Lei out of the room.

He slammed and locked the cell door behind him.

He didn't see the pill bottle lying on the floor near the pool of blood from Beary's wounds.

.~*The Country Bears*~.

Al's eyes were wide as he watched the monitor. Did that panda really say what he thought it said?

No one knew what to say. They couldn't believe this turn of events, nor did they know for sure if the black bear had raped Jewel. From what they say, it looked like he had.

Trixie leaned against Tennessee, sobbing her heart out. Allison had finally broken down in tears and was now being held tightly in Norbert's arms. Henry was shaking from anger.

Kaspian was giving orders to his team, demanding that someone find out who the hell the grizzly had been; Kenya was doing her best to keep herself together—she was new to the team, only on it for a few weeks. This wasn't something she expected.

But Al, however, was in awe. He knew right away who the silver she-bear was.

"That's Lei," he whispered, but everyone could somehow hear him through the chaos. "That's my sister…"


	9. Chapter Eight

.~*Chapter Eight*~.

"How's he doin', Lei?"

The she-bear sat down on a chair and sighed heavily. "Well, considering we don't have an x-ray machine, then I don't know for sure if it is actually broken or just fractured. I set it the best I could with the supplies we have here at this 'base'. I'm using his walking boot as a make-shift cast," she said softly. "I also stitched up the worse of his cuts and bandaged the others."

He looked over at her. "But…?"

"I'm afraid that he may develop a limp later on… We need to get him to a hospital before that happens. He needs his leg set properly."

Derek shook his head. "We can't, Lei-Lei. T-Thrasher weel keel us and hu't zem… o' wo'se…"

"How would he find them?"

He glanced around for a moment before leaning towards her. "He haz wayz. He can t'ack 'em and hu't them. I've been t'yin' ta figah out a way to stop it, but… We can't take 'em until I find 'way to hide zem f'om 'iz wayz."

Lei groaned softly and placed a paw on her head. "I don't know how much more those two can handle. I… I just wish I could remove those blasted collars and that annoying chain."

Derek looked at her. "'ow is the gurl?" he asked slowly, being careful to pronounce each word as best as he could.

"She's still out of it. She's lying on the bed with him. She has a minor concussion, but nothing too serious. I have her wrapped in a couple blankets to prevent shock."

"Did…"

"No. It was very, very close, but she's still pure."

The panda let out a small sigh of relief.

Lei reached across the table and gently gripped his paw. "If we can't take them now, then we'll stay with them. We can't let that… that bastard get a hold of them again. He'll kill them."

"I locked him in zee cell. He'z gonna be pizzed." The panda actually trembled. He knew full well that he was going to be punished for going against Thrasher. He would either be whipped or possibly forced into bed with the grizzly. It wouldn't be the first time, either. Thrasher was way different from his father, Jackson. He preferred a more **_intimate_** type of punishment, whereas Jackson would use a whip for those who didn't behave. He liked getting down and dirty, loving to see his victims squirm and scream.

Derek, even though he was sixty-one, was no match for the much younger grizzly. He felt true fear around him; always had. Thrasher had always been mentally unstable—there was no predicting what he would do. He had threatened Lei several times in order to make the panda behave and do what he was told. He knew full well that Derek would do anything to protect her.

Even let himself be violated just to fill Thrasher's needs, which he had been forced to do numerous times over the years. Anything it took to keep him away from the much younger slaves—except for Mark, who was actually owned by Thrasher—and to protect Lei.

He never let Lei know of what happened, but he had a feeling she already knew.

Thrasher was the very reason why Derek had taken Lei to a place out in the country to live ten years ago. Jackson had known about it; he had even allowed it as a reward for the "service" Lei and the panda had done for him over the years—the breeding operation. Jackson had always known his son was dangerous—that's why Thrasher had been locked up in a cell for a time.

Before he had been locked up, however, he had taken and raped one of Derek's sons: Jason, who wasn't able to be sold. Derek had tried to protect the boy, but there wasn't much he could do, not when Thrasher was the boss's son. Poor Jason had had to put up with Thrasher's attacks for almost thirteen years, ever since he was seven—Thrasher was seventeen at the time—before he was finally free to get away, thanks to Jackson who took pity on him.

Jackson had finally had enough with what his son had been doing to the younger ones and locked him up in one of the many cells with one of Thrasher's slaves, Mark, who was only seven at the time. That was little over ten years ago. The grizzly grew more and more angry every day, as well as more crazy. The only thing that kept him from going completely mental was him taking out his "needs" on Mark, who had been bought specifically for that.

But once Jackson died… Thrasher was released to take over the "business". He had immediately sold off Derek's other mates before selling off all the young cubs—most of which were under the age of two.

That was only a few months ago. Since then, he had threatened to sell Lei, but stopped when he realized how valuable she was because she was a doctor. After that, he told Derek that if he didn't do what he was ordered, Thrasher would take Lei from her home, force her into bed with him, and have his way with her. After which he would kill her and use her pelt as a rug.

The panda never disobeyed another order.

He didn't even question when Thrasher ordered two young cubs of breeding age be brought to the warehouse they were operating out of. Derek then gave the order to the two humans, who found, kidnapped, and brought the young ones in. What happened to their families, Derek didn't know. Derek didn't even know where the two cubs had been taken from, nor did he know where Josh Thimple came in.

He had a feeling that Thrasher was contacted by the human, who probably told him about the two cubs. But, then again, he didn't know for sure.

"Derek? What's wrong?" Lei asked, pulling him from his thoughts.

He blinked and shook his head before sighing. "Juzz thinkin'." He squeezed her paw and looked into her beautiful blue eyes. "We gonna stay hew in dis pa't of the place. We ain't gonna let 'asher get 'em."

"He's still going to make them breed, Derek… He'll just kill them and get two more cubs if they don't," the silver she-bear said softly, her voice full of sadness.

He nodded slowly before sighing. He knew full well that this was true. "I bettah go see if he got out and take zee puneeshment I dese've." He stood up and began walking towards the door, only to be stopped when the she-bear got up and wrapped her arms around him.

Lei rested her head on his chest and whimpered softly. "Don't go… Please don't go… I… I'm afraid you won't come back…"

Derek wrapped his arms around her, gently rocking her side to side. "I 'ave ta, baby. He'el hu't ya if I don't… If I can get his angah ta focus on me, maybe he'el leave you and 'em alone."

A few tears rolled down her cheeks as she stayed within his arms. She was truly afraid that he might be killed by the grizzly or worse: violated again. Oh, yes. She knew all about the sacrifices he had made to protect her, but she never let on that she knew.

After a few minutes, the panda removed his arms from around her. "I be bac' soon, baby. I p'omise." He gave her a kiss on her forehead before walking towards the door. "Lock it be'ind me." With that, he left the room, shutting the door behind him.

Lei immediately locked the door and leaned against it heavily, sliding to the floor. She couldn't hold back her tears as she pulled her knees up to her chest.

.~*The Country Bears*~.

Jewel refused to open her eyes. She could feel someone lying on the bed next to her, but she didn't dare open her eyes to find out who it was, for fear it was Mark. A whimper escaped her throat.

Next to her, the bed shifted slightly and there was a small moan.

"Easy, little one," a feminine voice whispered. "Try to stay as still as possible. We don't want to open your wounds again. Now, I have to give you an antibiotic shot so they don't get infected."

There was a small hiss in response.

"There. All done."

"Is… Is… she… o-o-okay?" a familiar voice asked, his voice filled with pain. He was wheezing heavily.

"Yes, kiddo. You protected her. She wasn't raped."

There was a soft sigh of relief on the bed next to her, and Jewel slowly opened her eyes. She turned her head and a choked sob escaped her lips when she saw the white furred face and hazel eyes that stared back at her. "B-Beary…" She immediately turned on her side and wrapped her arms around his neck, holding him tightly as she rested her head half on his shoulder and half on his chest. No words came out of her as she cried against his face. She clutched the fur on his shoulder tightly—she wasn't able to touch the fur on his neck due to the metal collar still around his neck—her body trembling violently. She had never been so scared before in her life.

"G-Gem… D-Did he…" He had to make sure the silver she-bear was telling him the truth.

She shook her head, unable to make her vocal cords work. She nestled up closer to him, not wanting to ever leave his side again.

Beary weakly reached up with his right paw—he couldn't move his left arm because Jewel was pretty much lying on top of it—and placed it on the side of her face. "S-Sowi," he whispered, still wheezing. "N-Nevah… sh-should… h-have… l-let y-you… go…"

The she-cub continued to tremble, but she answered him at last. "W-Wasn't y-your fault. You s-saved m-me from him be-before he could… c-could…" She broke off, unable to go on. She moved one of her arms away from his neck and placed it on his bandaged chest. She felt the cloth bandages and couldn't help but frown.

He moved his paw from her cheek and placed it on her paw, gently squeezing. He whispered something that sounded like "supposed to protect you", but Jewel couldn't be sure. His voice was shaking so much, as well as sounding so weak, that it was hard to make out what he said for sure.

She knew he was falling asleep; she was getting tired, too. She curled up closer to him—he finally moved his left arm and wrapped it around her shoulders—and rested her head completely on his chest, her nose inches away from where their held paws were resting. She listened to his heartbeat and breathing, somehow finding it relaxing. Her eyes slowly closed and she fell asleep in his arms.

Lei watched the two cubs with sadness in her eyes. "Take it easy, you two. Don't strain yourselves. I'll be back in later with food and water for you. Stay in this room where you'll be safe," she whispered as she left the room—which had no door—heading back to the main room and sat in a lone chair, watching the locked door, waiting for Derek to return.

.~*The Country Bears*~.

The boy was burning up; his temperature was well above the normal temp of 100 degrees. Right now, it was close to 104 degrees and rising. The she-cub knelt on the bed next to him, holding his paw and looking at him worried.

Lei walked into the room, pushing a cart in front of her. On the cart was a bowl of ice cold water, along with a washcloth. She parked the cart next to the bed, grabbed the thermometer from the boy's mouth and checked his current temperature. _104.5_. She frowned. '_Up a half degree in less than twenty minutes_,' she thought to herself.

"Here, girl. Help me out with this," she said.

The she-cub looked at her, glaring slightly. "My name is Jewel, for your information," she growled. "And this is Beary."

Lei blinked. "Beary…? What the hell kind of name is **_that_**?"

Jewel rolled her eyes. "His name. It's cute."

The silver she-bear sighed. "Well… Okay then. Anyway, will you please help me, Jewel?"

The she-cub got off the bed and stood next to the older bear. "Wait. What's your name?"

"Lei."

Jewel blinked. "That's a pretty name."

"Well, it's better than my brother's. I mean, Albert? Bleh. I used to tease him all the time," she chuckled. "Not only that, but he was heavier than I was, so I would call him Big Al."

The O'Neal's eyes widened. "Wait. Al's your brother?" She studied the she-bear before rubbing her eyes, wondering if what she saw was real. "You look just like him…"

"You know my brother? How? Is he all right?!" Lei demanded.

"Yeah, I know him… He's Beary's uncle."

This time, it was Lei's turn to be confused. "What are you talking about?" She looked at the cub lying on the bed. "They look nothing alike!"

"Well, Al was adopted into Beary's mom's family when he was eleven—at least, that's what I heard. He doesn't talk much. I heard all this from Henry."

"Henry?"

"Beary's father."

The she-bear became quiet for a long time. Her brother had been adopted into another family? What happened to her parents, then?! Was this she-cub—Jewel, was it?—really telling the truth?

She was pulled out of her thoughts when Jewel let out a startled shout. She looked at Beary with wide eyes. He was having a seizure.

Jewel immediately began digging around in her pockets. "Oh, no, no, no, no!" she cried when she couldn't find the pill bottle. "Where is it?!"

"Is he an epileptic?" Lei questioned as rolled him onto his side, allowing him to breathe easier during his fit.

The golden she-cub nodded as tears rolled down her cheeks. "I had h-his p-pill bo-bottle in my p-p-pocket! I-It's gone! I mu-must've dropped it…"

The sixty-one-year-old knew exactly when the she-cub had probably dropped the bottle—when Mark had tried to rape her. She swore softly before remembering something. "Here. Hold him up like this until his fit is done. I may be able to help you with your problem." She left the room after making sure that Jewel was holding up the boy, and immediately went over to the cabinets in the main room. "Oh, where is it…" she growled as she searched through them for a specific bottle. "Ah-ha!" she exclaimed when she finally found it. She grabbed the bottle and quickly went back into the larger room.

Beary was now lying on his back, completely still. He was breathing, but it was wheezy and shallow. Jewel applied a cool washcloth to his forehead, but glanced back at Lei when she entered. "He stopped a couple seconds ago. It… It wasn't one of his worse ones," she whispered. It was obvious she was shaken up.

Lei nodded. "I have a prescription of anti-seizure meds. I don't know his correct prescription, but these should help. It's better than nothing."

Jewel nodded and whimpered softly as she returned her gaze to her friend. "I wanna go home," she said softly as a single tear rolled down her cheek.

The she-bear knew exactly how her young female charge was feeling. "Hey, it's going to be okay. I'm going to keep you away from that monster, kiddo." She reached out and put a paw on the girl's shoulder. "And when… When Derek returns… We'll get away from this place together…" She shook her head. "Now, stop dwelling on that. We have to take care of your friend."

Jewel looked back at her before nodding slowly. "Yeah…"

.~*The Country Bears*~.

The dark was suffocating, wrapping around from all sides and pressing in. Closer, closer… It wouldn't go away. The dark was worse than the lingering pain, the harsh reminders of the punishment he had so willingly taken for the young cubs and his bonded mate. It was worth the suffering and pain, the terror he suffered, to keep them safe, even though he barely knew the two cubs. He didn't know why he was so compelled to protect them, even though it was only hours ago that he didn't give a damn about them.

What had changed? Was it because that they reminded him of when he and Lei had been kidnapped when they were eleven? Was it because Lei had fallen in love with them and didn't want them hurt? Or was it because that they still had a chance to get out before they were forced to breed?

He was sprawled over the bed, ankles and wrists bound by chains, connected with no slack to the wall and bed posts. Blinking groggily, the old panda tried to remember when exactly he had lost consciousness. Was it before the hot iron had touched his now-burning skin, or had it been after? He could smell smoldering fur and could only hope that it wasn't still burning. Since no orange flames were tearing across the white-and-black that covered him, Derek assumed he wasn't going to burn to death today. Or would the correct word be "tonight?" How many days had it been? The lack of windows in the dark, dark room made it hard to tell.

Not that it mattered. The time of day wasn't really something that concerned him when his life—and, more importantly, the lives of others—were in danger. Something so trivial could easily be pushed aside. Most things could be, in situations such as the current one. Sleep was another of those things; if he slept, the cubs and his bonded mate might end up hurt. He couldn't waste time with something so small as sleep.

Derek knew from past experiences that straining against the chains would only cause him greater pain than he had already suffered. The sensation of the brand that had inevitably caused his unconsciousness burned just below the area where his navel would have been—had he been human—the scarred, burning, red flesh in the grotesque shape of a cat-of-nine-tails whip.

He had a few other brands of a similar nature in numerous places; branding was one of Thrasher's favorite punishments for his misbehaving slaves. The sadistic bear loved to watch his slaves scream in agony as their fur melted and their skin burned beneath the hot iron.

What was more concerning than the burning in his lower section was the fact that, with his arms stretched above his head and chained as they were, it was difficult to breathe. His wrists were bound tightly together, the heavy chains tearing at the soft white fur and biting into the skin, leaving dark red stains. They really only cut into his skin when he struggled. Who wouldn't struggle against another being shoving a hot iron into one's flesh, eating away at the nerve endings and making every inch of one's skin crawl with repulse? His ankles were in a similar condition; Thrasher had all but guaranteed that.

He wouldn't be left in this torturous chamber forever, he knew. Just until Thrasher thought he had learned his lesson. Or, rather, until he thought the cubs and Lei had learned their lesson. Thrasher was probably showing them the tape of Derek's latest torture session, just to scare them into submitting.

The panda's entire body ached. He could feel his limbs beginning to tremble from the pain and exhaustion he felt, without even taking into account his rising terror. Thrasher would be back, and when he came back… it'd be bad. Derek didn't dare cry out; if someone heard him, they would tell Thrasher. And that would just make the soon-to-come punishment that much worse. So he swallowed his fears, shoving them away to the back of his mind, making himself think of how he had saved the cubs and Lei from the pain and humiliation he had just suffered. Rape, branding, chained to the wall like some kind of feral animal… All of it was worthwhile, to keep three innocents safe.

.~*The Country Bears*~.

Jewel was terrified. Lei, the silver she-bear that had been taking care of them, had just come into the room, followed by a grizzly. She had been thrown against a wall, striking her head, before the grizzly left her alone. The attack had awoken both Beary and Jewel; Jewel was now supporting her friend so that he could sit up.

They had been here, in this room, for days; the exact number was unknown. Beary's injuries had thankfully hadn't gotten too severely infected; he had ended up with a bad fever, which had only recently broke. He was still weak from it and was currently leaning heavily against the golden she-cub.

However, during the time he was feverish, he had had several seizures, and that was when Jewel made a horrifying discovery: The bottle of pills for Beary's epilepsy that had been in her pocket was gone. Thankfully, the seizures had been relatively minor, but Lei had found out about his "curse". She had looked around and found some kind of anti-epilepsy pills that she had brought in a long time ago for another epileptic slave. That slave, however, never received the medicine; he had died from a seizure before Derek got back with the pills.

So far, thankfully, they had been working pretty well for Beary. They had been preventing any major seizures from occurring.

"Bitch," Thrasher snarled at Lei. "Yer boyfriend got his punishment, and now ya git yers. How would ya like to watch yer boyfriend suffer because of you?" He looked at the two cubs on the bed. "And ya… Ya'll better watch out. This will be yer fate if ya don't do as told, ya lil bastards."

Beary made no response—Jewel briefly wondered if he was out of it again—but Jewel trembled violently. She was totally freaked.

Lei moved away from the wall and climbed on the bed with the cubs, sitting on the opposite side of Jewel. She reached around Beary, placed a paw on Jewel's shoulders, and gently squeezed. She was doing her best to protect the two younger bears, refusing to let Thrasher anywhere near them. Her entire body trembled, however; she knew full well that Thrasher had another one of his sadistic videos.

Thrasher pulled his laptop out of his side pack and set it on the bed. He messed with it for a moment before turning it towards them, the video from it playing.

Jewel's eyes were wide as she watched the video. She could feel Lei's claws digging deeper and deeper into her shoulder with every second, but didn't say anything about it. Her eyes were focused on the laptop screen. She couldn't believe what she was seeing. Why did this panda do this for them? Why did he take the punishment?

She couldn't remember why he was being punished, and that's what bothered her so much. Was it because he saved her from Mark the second time? Was it because he stopped that grizzly from killing Beary?

Beary weakly clutched Jewel's paw. It was all he could do. He was still weak from his battle with his fever and the blood he had lost due to his injuries. His leg was killing him and he had a headache as well. He tried to focus on the video, but found that he couldn't. The screaming and crying from the video was driving him nuts. What was going on?!

Lei trembled, but refused to cry. It would be a disgrace to Derek if she cried. She had to remain strong for him and the two cubs she had been charged with guarding. If she started crying, she wouldn't be able to stop, nor would she be able to protect the two young ones. All she could do was pray that her bonded mate would be all right. She looked away when she saw the iron on the video. She knew full well what was about to happen.

Thrasher smiled sadistically as he watched their expressions. He closed his eyes as he listened to the recorded screams from the panda, loving it. However, it ended all too quickly when the panda lost consciousness. The grizzly growled, shut the laptop, picked it up, and glared at them. "That's what's gonna happen to ya two lil bastards if ya don't do what is told." He looked directly at the silver she-bear. "And ya, bitch. If ya don't tell them what they is supposed to do, then ya boyfriend will meet an even worse fate. You have ten minutes to get them to do what they must." With that, he stormed out of the room.

Lei tried her best to get her bearings, but couldn't. She just couldn't bring herself to do what he said. "I… I can't do it, Derek," she whispered, as if she were talking to someone who wasn't there. "I can't make them breed… But… But if they don't…" Her entire body shook. She seemed to have forgotten completely that she was sitting on the bed with the two cubs. "T-they'll be sold as sl-slaves…" She curled up on the bed, still crying. She couldn't stop.

Jewel's eyes widened in horror. It was an impossible choice! Sick and wrong! She and Beary were too young to mate!

She glanced at Beary, who seemed to have fallen asleep on her shoulder, and a whimper escaped her lips. She didn't know what to do. Sure, someday in the future she wanted Beary to mate with her, forming the eternal bond that was never supposed to be broken. But… To do it now? What if in a few years they didn't want to be together in **_that_** way? What if he didn't love her the way she loved him? What if-

Beary must have been awake all along, because he spoke up, interrupting her thoughts. "If… If it w-will… s-save t-the one y-you l-love… a-and k-keep m-me and J-Jewel to-together… t-then w-we'll do it…" he whispered, sounding extremely weak.

Lei blinked and sat up, shocked. She truly had forgotten that they were there. "I-I'm s-sorry it's come down to this," she whispered, climbing off the bed and facing them. "W-We were supposed t-to get you out before this happened…" She looked at them both. "I'll leave you two to talk it out," she said softly before leaving the room.

Jewel looked at Beary, who began to lie back down on the bed, wincing ever so slightly. "Beary…" she whispered, her voice shaking still.

He opened his eyes halfway and looked at her, revealing the pain within them that was only rivaled by sheer determination and fierce love. He lifted one arm shakily and placed it on her cheek. "I… made y-you… and Tenne…ssee…a pro-promise…" he whispered.

She looked at him in surprise and confusion.

He took a deep breath and spoke in a strong voice. "I will **_never_** let anything happen to you."

She shook her head. "I won't take your choices away from you, C-Bear. We'll get out of this! We'll go home!"

He chuckled softly and rubbed her cheek with his thumb. "You… don't under…stand."

Jewel blinked. "Yes, I do! I know that there are other girls that want you, and they'll never get a chance if I take it away! We aren't ready for this! We can't…" She diverted her gaze. "You're the guy everyone wants… The cutest boy in school… Even if you are short. You're charismatic, a great friend, a leader… I'm just the one… I don't deserve the right to take you away from that…" She didn't feel the shifting of the bed as Beary sat up once again, albeit very slowly, until he pressed his lips against hers. Before she had a chance to respond to the kiss, Beary pulled away, leaving her somewhat breathless. His kisses **_always_** left her feeling as if she were flying through the air. He made her feel safe and secure; it made her feel as if nothing could go wrong.

"You're wrong… Gem. **_I'm_** the one that… isn't worthy of **_you_**," he whispered. "You're the only one… I want… You're the one I chose…" He nuzzled her gently and softly spoke the words he had always know were true deep down, but had tried to hide for so long. "I **_love_** you, Jewel. I am never going to let anyone take you away." He suddenly looked at her, worried. "T-That is… If you'll have me…"

Her forest green eyes widened in surprise. He **_loved_** her? Was she dreaming? She knew that she loved him—she had known for a long time—she just didn't expect him to love her back. Then again, was it really love? Did they know what love truly meant? She wasn't sure, but surely it meant protecting each other unconditionally, right?

"J-Jewel?"

Jewel didn't know how to respond. Her mind was reeling with a million thoughts, all jumbled up and confused. Her eyes filled with tears and she looked away. She was afraid. What was going to happen to her? What was to come? What would happen to Beary? What would life be like from now on once they did **_it_**?

Beary took on a hurt expression that quickly turned to confusion as Jewel slowly pushed him back down on the bed. He didn't have time to question her before she wrapped her arms around his neck and hungrily pressed her lips against his.

Pulling away, she looked at his shocked expression with nothing but pure love in her eyes. "I love you, too, C-Bear. You're the only one **_I_** want," she said softly, rubbing her nose against his and looked him directly in the eyes. "If you're sure, then I want you to take me, Beary Taylor. You're the one I want to spend my life with, even if… if it means we're going to… to be forced to breed…" She studied his expression for a moment before repeating what she said as she unbuttoned her coat all the way. "Take me, Beary Taylor. Take me as your bonded mate."

Without giving him a chance to change his mind, Jewel moved on top of him, spread her legs apart, and grinded her bare naked hips against his clothed ones. Her lips locked onto his once more as her paws gripped his greasy hair, not that her hair and fur were any different. She softly moaned.

Beary was surprised, to say the least. He hadn't expected Jewel to take control of the situation like that. He hadn't expected this to happen so fast, though he realized that it was probably because she was afraid and wanted to get this over with. However, he couldn't deny the physical reaction he felt as she moved against him.

His left paw traveled down her back until it reached her hips, which were still moving against him, and held them down, loving the feel of it. A spark traveled throughout his body as he felt her chest fur mingling with his where the bandages didn't cover his own fur. He moaned loudly. His right paw moved to her jacket, he pushed it off her shoulders, removing it completely from her body and tossed it off the bed. Once it was off, he moved his mouth from hers and gently nibbled her shoulder as he rolled her onto her back. He would've bit her neck, but with the collar still there… It wasn't possible.

No longer did he feel the pain from his injuries, nor did he feel weak. He felt free and strong.

He let natural instincts overcome his mind, blocking out any negative thoughts as his paws traveled down her body, the claws digging through her golden fur until they reached her skin, causing her to moan with pleasure. His paws then reached his waist, where he began to remove his shorts and tossed them off the bed—he had had a bit of trouble with the cast getting in the way, but Jewel helped him get the shorts all the way off. Before he brought himself to completely cover her with his naked body, he asked one more time as he hung over her at arm length, his paws on either side of her head, "Jewel, are you sure…?" He was utterly terrified of hurting her.

Jewel reached up with her arms and placed her paws on both of his cheeks. She lifted her head and kissed him. "I'm ready, Beary," she murmured. "I'm yours now and forever." The golden she-cub finished her answer by pulling him down on top of her, hard, and hungrily kissed him as her paws beginning to explore his naked body, growling as she did so.

He lost all rational thought as his paws followed her movements as their bodies, seeming to act by themselves, began to move against each other, going faster and faster with each passing moment. Their arms and legs began to entwine, but they still didn't do **_it_** yet. Both were still afraid of doing **_it_**, but they both knew that it wasn't far off.

This was the farthest they had ever gone with a make-out session, and now they were about to go all the way.

Finally, they reached the moment of truth. Jewel looked up at him with trusting eyes, waiting for him to claim her. Beary tried to be as gentle as possible, but a sudden leg spasm caused him to drop hard and fast onto her.

Jewel's sudden scream broke his heart. He had hurt her.

She had never been in so much pain before. Tears rolled down her cheeks in torrents as her back arched. Her claws dug into his back, piercing the bandages. She moved her mouth and her teeth clamped down on his ear.

"I'm sorry! I'm so, so sorry!" Beary cried, pressing his cheek against hers, tears filling his eyes. He began to lift his body off of her, only to have her move her claws down to his hips and hold him down.

"Don't. Move," she growled, her voice laced with pain. She immediately returned her teeth to his ear and bit hard. Her face was scrunched up in pain and her body trembled.

He nodded slowly and waited until she was ready to go on. Finally, after what seemed like ages, Jewel removed her teeth from his ear and whispered. "I-I'm ready."

Beary hesitated for a moment, before he began slowly moving against her. He was bent on pleasing her, to make up for the pain he had caused. Her pleasured moans told him that he was succeeding. Although, every so often, she would let out a pained gasp and they would stop until she could readjust. This was killing him, knowing that he was hurting her. However, if it meant they would be able to remain together forever, then so be it. He had to protect her, and this was the only way he could.

"I'm sorry…" he murmured what felt like an eternity later, a groan escaping him as he reached his climax. Tears rolled down his cheeks as his body began to relax.

Jewel arched her back and moaned loudly, crying out his name, as she, too, reached her limit. When it was over, she was left panting heavily, body aching yet mixed with pleasure. She fell limp on the bed and looked into his tear-filled eyes. "I'm not," she whispered as her eyes closed. He knew she was lying. He could hear the pain that laced her voice. He didn't bring it up, though.

He slowly rolled over onto his back, taking her with him. He was completely exhausted, and he knew full well that she was tired, too. Jewel didn't remove her hips from his and kept her legs spread apart. Her head came to rest sideways on his chest, pressing the top of her head against his chin. Her eyes drifted close and she fell asleep. He wrapped his arms around her and breathed deeply. His back was throbbing and his ear was bleeding from the deep puncture wounds caused by Jewel's teeth. However, he didn't care. He shifted positions slightly, trying to make both of them more comfortable. He spread his legs apart a little and gently stroked her hair, kissing her head.

Jewel moaned in her sleep and moved her body forward slightly.

Beary's eyes slowly drifted close. He had never felt more ashamed of himself.

Not only had he hurt her, but he had taken her virginity.

Dwelling on that thought, he fell into darkness.

.~*The Country Bears*~.

Lei watched in silence as Thrasher entered the cubs' room with a camera, but she didn't dare stop him. She heard him snap a few photos, and then watched as he walked back into the room she was in.

She knew full well what the cubs had chosen to do. She had heard the she-cub's screams and had closed her eyes, remembering that that was how she sounded when Derek had been forced to take her innocence all those years ago…

"Ya did a good job in makin' them do what they should. Ya should have called me in sooner. I would've liked to watch," the grizzly grinned. "Although, I got a much better view from my office. Oh, how I enjoy security cameras. I wonder what their families will think?"

The she-bear glared at him and didn't respond.

Thrasher rolled his eyes. "Ya better take care of yer boyfriend." He walked out the door and reappeared a moment later, dragging behind him a black and white mess. He dropped the panda, who then fell onto his side, and aimed a kick at his ribs before leaving.

Lei's eyes widened and she immediately rushed to Derek's side. "Derek?!" she screeched as she rolled him onto his back. Looking him over, she winced at the sight of the new brand and the new scars on his wrists and ankles. Did this happen the first night of his torture? He had been gone for several days, so it was hard to tell.

"Oh, Ursute, baby…" she whispered. "Not again…" She immediately began pulling him into the room where the cubs were, and pulled him onto one of the other beds.

For once, she was grateful that they had sought refuge in the infirmary. She would be able to take care of him somewhat properly.

Derek groaned as he shifted his position slightly. A whimper escaped his lips. "No mow… No mow…" he begged softly.

Lei knew full well that shock was settling in, so she quickly grabbed a couple blankets from the cupboard and covered him with them. She then grabbed an antibiotic and gave him the shot, hoping to prevent any infection from invading through his burned skin. Once done, she grabbed a nearby stool and moved it next to the bed. But before she sat down, she looked over at the two cubs.

She grabbed another blanket and draped it over them. "I'm so sorry," she whispered before she went back over to Derek's bed and sat on the stool, clutching his paw with both of hers.

She glanced back at them for a moment and saw the blood splatters on the bed. She knew she would have to change the boy's bandages, but decided to wait until they woke up. She didn't want to disturb them.

Lei reached out and gently ran the back of her paw along Derek's cheek. "Oh, baby," she whispered softly. "Why do you do what you do? Why do you take the punishments I should share? Why can't you just let me help you?"

Derek weakly clenched her fist. "I-It's m-mah b-bu'den… t-to b-bear," he whispered as he slowly opened his blue eyes. "F-Fifty yea's ago… I p-p'omised ya… I w-wouldn't let… nothin' happen to ya." He groaned and rolled his head to the side.

Lei got up and grabbed a pitcher of water and a cup. "Shh, Derek… Shh…" she said softly as she filled the cup, grabbed a bendy straw, and brought it up to his lips. "Light sips, sweetheart. Light sips."

The panda nodded and slowly took a couple of sips. He groaned again and looked into her eyes. "Baby…"

"T-Th-Thrasher s-showed up… He… he gave them no choice…" she whispered, diverting her eyes and looking over at the two cubs.

Derek followed her gaze and sighed. "Damn… it…" He looked away from the other bed and glanced at his mate. "Lei-Lei… T-They're g-goin' t-to be…"

"Sore. I know. Unfortunately, I don't have anything for them… Thra-Thrasher got rid of all the pain medication, you know… He's such a-"

"Sadis'ic basta'd?"

Lei smiled weakly. "Exactly." She leaned forward and gave him a small kiss. "Sleep, my hero… Sleep…"

She waited until he had fallen asleep before she let her tears flow. She remembered the promise he made her all those years ago. How could she not?

"And I made you a promise," she whispered. "I promised that I would take care of you… But I seem to be doing a poor job of it… You always get hurt protecting me and now these two cubs…" She leaned forward, folded her arms on the bed, and rested her head upon them. A yawn escaped her, and she could no longer hide how exhausted she was, but she refused to sleep.

It was her turn to protect the others.

She had plans to make. She knew full well that they had to escape.


	10. Chapter Nine

p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:  
6pt 0in; text-align: center; text-indent: 0.5in;"  
align="center"span style="text-decoration:  
underline;"span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Courier New 


	11. Chapter Ten

.~*Chapter Ten*~.

She blinked and moaned softly, feeling the soft, warm object beneath her shift. She was so comfortable and relaxed. All she needed was a backrub and she'd be set.

Wait…

Jewel lifted her body slightly, arching her back and pressing her hips down. Feeling a strange sensation in her lower extremities, she looked at the object she was laying on top of. Her eyes widened in disbelief when she saw it was Beary. Very slowly, her breathing quickening, she turned her head and lifted the blanket, that she did not remember having last night, slightly. Almost immediately, she dropped it as her heart skipped a beat. Her breath hitched slightly and tears gathered in her eyes as she realized what she was seeing.

She and Beary had done **_it. _**They were **_still_** doing **_it. _**They had taken each other's virginity… They had mated… Become **_one_** for eternity.

There was no going back.

A choked sob escaped her lips as she rolled off of Beary, flinching at the feeling and the sudden pain that flared up, and curled up on her side, crying. Her entire body ached, especially her lower region. Moving just made her body hurt even more.

She felt so dirty. She knew they never should have done what they did, but now it was too late to take it back. Last night—or was it only a few hours ago?—she had been filled with pleasure; dirty pleasure. Feeling Beary not only on top of her, but **_inside_** of her… She had never felt so alive! The emotions… The beautiful feelings that had filled her when Beary had taken her as his own… She chose not to remember the pain.

They had announced their love for each other in this bed… They had shown their love for each other when they took each other as bonded mates. She had never been so happy.

But now? All she felt was disgust with herself. How **_dare_** she feel that pleasure?! Her father was going to shun her now. He would never accept her for what she had done. She was an outcast now and forever.

Jewel hugged herself, trembling as she continued to weep. She just wanted to go home and pretend this never happened.

Meanwhile, Beary groaned and slowly sat up, wondering why he was so sore. Hearing the crying, he turned his head to the left and his eyes widened when he saw Jewel's bare naked golden back, the silver collar and chain around her neck, and the blanket that was tangled around her hips and legs. He blinked and looked at his own body.

'_Oh, sweet Ursute…_'

Everything came rushing back to him. The moans, groans, and growls… the dirty pleasure he had felt… He could still feel the ghostly presence of her teeth nibbling his skin, nipping at his chest, shoulder, and ears. Their fur mixing together, creating friction that made them move faster, just to keep that feeling. He could hear her moans echoing in his mind urging him to move faster and harder against her… **_within_** her… The pleasure… Oh, Ursute! The wonderful pleasure he felt while moving against her… taking her as his own…

His eyes widened. He knew immediately why he was so sore and why Jewel was crying.

They had come together in a way that they could **_never_** break. Neither of them was ready for this, but now it was too late to take it back. Their lives would never be the same again.

'_What have we done…? W-What have _**I**_ done?!_'

He closed his eyes, lay back, turn on his side, and let his tears flow. He had done what he had told himself that he wouldn't do until they were older. He had taken away her freedom of choice… He had hurt her!

He felt as if he had taken advantage of her. As if… he had raped her…

His entire body shook with almost-silent sobs. He felt so ashamed… so dirty… He never should have done what he did…

'_I'm so sorry, Jewel… I'm so, so sorry… I've hurt you and can never take it back… I've… I've raped you…_'

His eyes remained closed as he continued to cry. The shame of what he had done was overwhelming. All he wanted to do now is find a dark corner, curl up, and fade into nonexistence. He would never be able to rid himself of the shame he had.

He knew deep down that he had done what he had to, but he just couldn't rid himself of the guilt. He also knew that he had to remain strong, if only for Jewel, so he quickly wiped his tears away and sat up. He turned his head and looked at the crying she-cub… his bonded mate…

Beary gazed at Jewel with loving eyes. He quickly summoned up the courage to approach her and slowly reached out, placing his paw on her waist. "J-Jewel…" He scooted backward a bit, wincing at the pain that radiated throughout his entire body, and gathered her in his arms.

Jewel immediately stiffened, not recognizing him at first, but settled down when she took in his familiar scent. She opened her tearful eyes and turned her head, only to have her lips come in contact with his, if only for a brief moment.

He gently nuzzled her and pressed his cheek against hers. He reached down and made sure the blanket was covering her waist; it was the only thing he could do to make sure she kept her dignity in case someone came into the room. "Oh, Jewel…" he murmured as he closed his eyes. "It's going to be okay… I promise, it's going to be okay…" Unconsciously, he brushed a strand of hair from her face and tucked it behind her golden ear.

She sank into his warm embrace and closed her eyes, letting her tears flow once again. "C-Bear… I love you…" she whispered as she clenched his paws tightly.

Love. It felt foreign. She may love him, and he may love her, but he could never take back the fact that he had harmed her. He could never love himself for what he'd done. For Jewel's sake, however, he would act like it. He slowly rocked her side to side as he whispered, "You know, Gem… You're beautiful… Even more beautiful now that you're mine."

The golden cub smiled at the thought. No matter how ashamed she was deep down, she felt… **_happy_**. She was Beary's, and Beary was hers. They were going to be together forever… Instead of tears of sorrow, tears of joy now rolled down her cheeks. Despite everything that had happened… Nothing could tear them apart now.

She let out a soft sigh and began to scoot backwards so that she was sitting on his lap. A small tremble ran through her body. Yesterday morning, she would have completely freaked at the mere thought of sitting naked in his lap, but now she couldn't get enough of it. Sure, it was shameful, but she didn't care anymore. She no longer cared about what her father would say, nor did she care about what rest of her family would do when they found out.

"I guess you're mine now," she murmured softly.

"I suppose you're right," he teased. "All yours and no one else's. Best friends to the end."

Jewel frowned. _Best friends to the end_? "Oh… Right…" She lowered her head, looking down and smoothing out the bed sheets. '_I guess I was mistaken last night. I thought I heard him say he loved me… He meant as a friend, not as… not as a lover._'

He glanced at her. "Did I say something wrong?"

The golden cub shook her head, trying to choke back the sobs she knew were coming.

Eyes widening, he lifted her face to his and looked into her eyes that swarmed with tears. "Oh, Jewel… I didn't mean it like that! I love you not only as my very best friend, but as my mate. Bonded. I know we're young, and this is so fast, but I want you to know that I've always loved you." Seeing as how she was starting to believe him, he smiled. "Do you remember the day we met?"

"First day of kindergarten," she grinned. "You were all alone."

"I usually was. I never really had any friends. Not even in preschool, believe it or not."

"I find that hard to believe."

"I was more or less shunned. I was a bit of an oddball. Always drawing. Coloring. Wacky ideas. I usually played by myself. But then I went on to kindergarten… and I saw the most glorious she-cub ever. And do you know who that was?"

She shook her head, a small grin on her face.

"She had the softest golden fur, fresh forest green eyes, and took no nonsense from anyone. Still don't ring a bell?"

Another shake.

Knowing she was just teasing him, he went on. "It was you, Jewel. You with your wacky ideas, and your eccentric attitude. You were the only one who came to say hello. When you first met my parents, you didn't laugh or tease me because they were human. You were the first to accept me and my, well, oddness." He kissed her nose and smiled softly. "That was the day I fell in love with you."

Her eyes widened as she cupped his cheeks with her paws. "Oh, Beary…" She started laughing loudly.

Blinking in surprise, he frowned and looked at her.

"I fell in love with you the day you tried to steal my crayons. Remember how much trouble we got into because we got into a wrestling match?"

He laughed and nodded. "Mhm. Sent to the principal's office. We got lucky our parents weren't called in."

"Mhm. Given a warning to stop messing around and pay attention."

"And of course we went right back to fighting."

"Well, you still had my gold and yellow crayons!"

"Nuh-uh. They were mine!"

"Mine!"

"Mi—oomph!"

Jewel planted a hot, wet kiss on his lips, cutting off his argument. Beary didn't mind, of course, eagerly returning it as he began to lay back, pulling her down with him, his paws slipping over her body.

"Hey, you two. I don't recommended doing that again… Unless you want to be extremely sore for the next few days."

The young lovers broke apart—Jewel backed off of Beary's lap and fumbled around for the blanket, but couldn't find it. Beary, meanwhile, turned and sat on the edge of the bed, blissfully unaware of the state of his nakedness.

Beary briefly registered the fact that Jewel had moved towards him, placing her paws on his shoulders. He sat up and reached backwards, placing his paws on Jewel's waist. His legs, pressed together, dangled off the side of the bed; Jewel was kneeling behind him, her knees on either side of his hips. Her naked body was pressed up tight to his own body, and her arms now wrapped around his waist. Her snout rested on his shoulder. She finally did find the blanket and wrapped it around her boyfri—no, mate's waist, hiding him from view.

"Hello, Lei," Jewel said softly.

"Good morning, Jewel," the silver she-bear replied, walking towards them.

A low growl emanated from Beary's throat, causing the she-bear to stop. "Who are you?" he asked, still growling.

"My name is Lei." She then pointed at the panda in the bed. "And this is my bonded mate, Derek."

Beary blinked. "Didn't he have an affair with Tri-"

"Long time ago…" the panda answered. "Biggest mistake I eva made." He slowly sat up, with Lei's help, and looked directly at Jewel. "I sowi fo wha I said ta ya… I know Trix luvs her daughtah."

The she-cub didn't know for sure whether she should believe his apology, but she gave him a small smile.

Derek then looked at Beary. "I'm sowi fo hittin' ya 'ike I did… I was… Havin' a bad day…" He looked directly at Lei when he said the last part.

"Hey, I forgave you, Derry. The past is the past."

Beary blinked, not sure of what he should say. After a moment, he, too, smiled. "It's okay. Besides, Jewel hits harder than you do."

"Ouch. Tres ha'sh, kid."

Both cubs snickered quietly, only joined by Lei, who softly giggled. After a few minutes, Lei cleared her throat.

"Anyway… Derek? This is Beary and Jewel," she said. She glanced at the cubs again. "Derek and I have been together for fifty years."

Derek nodded his head at them, acknowledging them.

The cubs, however, blinked. "F-F-fifty y-ye-years?!" they both exclaimed.

The two elder bears looked at them sadly. "Yeah. We've been here since… uh…" Lei glanced at her mate. It had been so many years… "I believe 1954."

Jewel glanced at Beary and he looked at her. "Uh… Y-You're joking, right?" Beary asked, praying that it was indeed the case.

Derek slowly shook his head. "I weesh."

"Shh, baby," Lei whispered, gently stroking his head. She then looked at the younger cubs. "Yes, we've been here since the fifties…"

"How have you survived so long? Haven't your parents looked for you?" Jewel questioned.

"We… We don't know…"

"If zey 'ave, fat lotta good it did zem or us. We still 'ere," Derek growled. "We ain't nevah leavin'."

"Derek!" Lei chastised. "Enough!"

"It's true… We ain't nevah gonna be f'ee."

She cuffed his ear. "Quiet." She then looked at the two cubs, both of which looked like they wanted to cry. "None of that. We're going to get out of here. Soon. I promise. You're going to see your family again." Lei then took a deep breath. It was time for a subject change. "Who's hungry?" she asked, moving away from Derek's bed and towards the door. "We may not have much in the infirmary, but… I can find us something… I have hidden some packets of food in here for emergencies, like when one of the she-bears went into labor and I had to watch over them…"

Beary's stomach growled, causing Jewel to giggle.

"It's about time you got hungry, C-Bear," Jewel sighed, gently kissing the side of his snout.

"Hungry for some more action with you? Yup," he said, wiggling his eyebrows.

"Nuh-uh. You have to earn it, C-Bear," she laughed before poking him in the side, causing him to squeal with laughter. She knew exactly where all his weak spots were, and she was going to exploit them. She poked him a couple more times before going all out and tickled tortured him.

"AH! HAHAHA! JEWEL, STOP IT!" he squealed, laughing loudly as he fell on his side—Jewel made sure he didn't fall off the bed.

The golden she-cub was relentless as she tortured him, running her paws and claws up and down his body. She was being as gentle as possible to not harm him further. She was surprised he wasn't crying out in pain from his legs. Maybe Lei had given him something?

Lei, laughing, went into the other room in order to find something for them to eat.

Derek remained in his bed, pain still radiating throughout his entire body from his ordeal. He did, however, turn his head and watch the two cubs with a small smile on his face. He thought back to the past, remembering the way he and Lei had acted after they had taken each other as mates…

Their reactions had been pretty much the same as these two youngens, what with the tears and the realization that they were never going to go home. They had been so young… A year younger than Beary and Jewel were now. Lei hadn't been able to move for almost a day, she was so sore. Derek, however, had immediately been forced onto at least twelve other females… But that was after they had been **_branded_**.

He shook his head, not wanting to remember the pain, but he couldn't help it. He and Lei hadn't been in love when they took each other as mates; they hadn't even been dating! They were just friends, eager for school to end and for summer vacation.

It took a few years before they realized that they were in truly in love. Sure, they had said "_I love you_" to each other before, but it had never really meant anything. When they finally figured realized that they were in love… Lei was pregnant with their first child, a son.

Derek had had other children before little Matthew, but none of them were created out of love. Matthew had been, as had every cub they had after that. And when their first daughter had been born… They had been in their late twenties… She was such a beautiful cub… It shamed him that he had to give her up.

That's why he had snuck out one night to take the infant she-cub to a loving family he knew. He wanted to make sure that his baby girl would be raised in a family that loved her. He didn't let Lei keep her for the two years before she would have been sold—he didn't want to put Lei through that torment of having to say goodbye… Especially when the infant would be sold into slavery. Only the lucky ones got illegally adopted.

A sudden shriek, followed by a loud clang of something crashing to the ground, interrupted his thoughts.

"Get away! Get out!"

"Shuddup!"

The panda immediately sat up, confused as to what was going on. He recognized Thrasher's voice, but was confused as to why he was here.

Meanwhile, Beary and Jewel stopped their tickle-torture session and sat still, their eyes wide. Jewel coward behind her friend, once again pressing her body tight against his while kneeling behind him with her legs on either side of him. She tightly wrapped her arms around his waist, trembling at the familiar voice.

The silver she-bear entered the room, struggling against the familiar grizzly, trying to keep him away from both her and the panda that rested on the bed.

"Stay away! You've hurt him enough!" she shrieked, pushing him away from the bed.

"Shuddup, ya dumb bitch!" the grizzly snarled, gripping both her wrists with one of his paw and tried again to make her move. When she refused to take another step, he kneed her in the stomach, causing the elder she-bear to double over. Using this to his advantage, he roughly pushed her back, making her fall backwards against the nightstand, where she promptly struck her head. Blood oozed out of the wound, quickly creating a small pool beneath her cranium.

She didn't get back up.

"Lei!" Derek cried, his voice full of both anger and terror. He began to get off the bed, only to be struck across the face and then chained to the bed posts.

"Ya basta'd!" the panda snarled, weakly struggling against the restraint, now realizing the real reason why Thrasher had come in. "Don't ya touch dem!"

Thrasher paid no attention as he began to walk towards the two cubs in the opposite bed. "Hey, pretty boy," he grinned lustfully, sizing the young male up. His eyes came to rest on Beary's lap, and he licked his lips.

Beary, with his legs dangling off the side of the bed, snarled with his teeth bared and his ear flat against his head. Behind him, Jewel trembled, truly afraid of this bear. She buried her snout against his back, tightly holding the blanket around his waist.

Thrasher placed a paw on Beary's leg, slowly rubbing it before his fingers and claws dipped into the crevice between the pair of legs, underneath the blanket, roughly digging into his inner thighs.

The light brown twelve-year-old winced and trembled slightly, pulling his leg away, but it was futile as the grizzly tightly gripped his right leg.

"Stop movin', ya fuggah," he growled as he reached down with one paw and gripped the makeshift cast before undoing it and roughly yanking it off. He grinned at Beary's scream of pain, loving the sound.

"Ya sadi'tic basta'd! 'eave dem a'one!" the panda yelled. "Are ya t'ying to make suwr 'is leg nevah heals?!"

"Of course. Means he can't run away." For extra measure, he kicked the injured leg and pulled the cub off the bed, shoving him to the floor.

Jewel, not expecting her support to disappear, fell forward, landing on top of the already injured cub. She let out a startled yelp that was barely heard over Beary's pained shout.

Thrasher, meanwhile, laughed loudly as he looked them over. "Idiots." His laughter died out and he reached down, grabbing the chain that connected the cubs' collars, and gave it a hard yank. Both cubs let out pained barks at the sharp tug on their necks, and immediately struggled as they were dragged across the floor towards the door.

"Stop! Whew are ya takin' dem?!" Derek shouted, still pulling at his bonds.

"Ya know damn well where I'm takin' them. They gonna be marked as mine." With that, Thrasher disappeared, dragging the terrified cubs behind him.

The panda's eyes widened in horror. The memory of hurting filled his mind, causing him to remember the searing pain from the white hot iron melting his fur and touching his skin. His body shook just thinking of it.

He knew that Beary and Jewel were in real trouble.

Once again, he pulled at his bonds, and turned his head, trying to see his mate. "Lei-Lei? Can ya 'ear me?" he asked.

There was no reply.

.~*The Country Bears*~.

Beary and Jewel were chained to the wall, their arms stretched above them with little slack. Their legs were spread apart with their ankles shackled to the floor; there was no chain between the cuffs and the ground. Their backs were to the rest of the room, but that didn't stop them from turning their heads to look at each other, fear contorting their faces. Beary glanced up, studying the shiny metal holding him captive. His eyes followed the chain until he noticed a D shaped ring at the end, attached to the wall. Hoping he could break the chain, he pulled with all his might, only to yelp loudly when the cuffs dug into his skin.

They could smell the crispy scent of fire, as well as hear the crackling of the flames. Other than the flickering light of the fire, the room was dark. Their eyes glowed due to the light and their fur seemed to turn ghost like. Even in this dire situation, Beary couldn't help but notice that the firelight made his mate look gorgeous.

Jewel could swear she could see heat waves were visible, rising from the floor, the unbearable temperature matting her sweaty fur, her mate in much the same condition. It was at times like this that both lovers wished they weren't bears. Not only that, but with the positions they were in left them vulnerable to any attack.

The fact that the heavy chain collars had been removed was but a small consolation; at least they didn't have to feel the awful tug and pull of the harsh metal around their necks any more. However, it was only after the collars were removed that Jewel realized her necklace, the very necklace that Beary had given her only a few days ago was gone.

"I-I'm s-sorry, B-Beary," Jewel whispered, a tear rolling down her cheek.

"They probably took it when they kidnapped us," he replied softly. His right leg was killing him, the pain from it almost rendering him unconscious. He just knew that his leg was broken, if not from what Mark had done, then from what the grizzly had done to him when he kicked it. He turned his head so he was no longer looking at his mate, letting his body simply hang from the chains, no will left to hold himself up. This, however, did make breathing more difficult.

At least the bandages he'd had on were no longer restricting his breathing, though the fact that his wounds were left open and exposed to the air could pose a problem. The used bandages were lying on the floor nearby, covered in rust-colored blood. It was old and flaking, a fact for which the young bear was grateful. None of it was fresh.

Beary was struck by the fear he saw deep in Jewel's forest green eyes. All he wanted to do was break free and wrap his arms around his lover. He knew full well that she was as scared as he was. That's why he never turned to look at her again; he couldn't let her see the terror in his eyes.

The fear in the room was thick. Beary tell that Jewel quaking alongside him. He couldn't help but feel the panic as well. He had no idea what was going to happen to them now. They had each other to depend on, but at the moment, he wasn't sure if that would be enough for them to endure another minute. More pain was coming, at least that much was obvious.

Jewel looked at him, concerned. She knew he was trying to hide the pain from her, but she could hear it in his voice and see it in his eyes. He had been hurt so much… It wasn't fair. It just wasn't fair. Since they were chained up side by side, with about eight inches between the pair of them, she began straining against the chain as much as she could, trying to reach him, even though it was really painful to do so. "Kiss me, Beary… Make everything all right," she murmured. The pain was rushing through her limbs, her paws starting to numb. She didn't care as she continued to pull against the chain.

He lifted his head and looked at her, slightly surprised, before pulling against his own chain and leaned towards her. The cuffs continued to pierce the tender skin on his wrists, and blood began to stream down his arms, staining the rest of his fur a rustic brown. He tried not to think of the pain, but it was nearly impossible.

Their lips were almost half an inch apart, and neither lover could move any closer. Try as they might, the chains wouldn't give anymore slack as the cuffs began to dig into their soft skin. That didn't stop them from trying as they stretched their necks to the fullest extent, their lips finally just barely brushing against each other. Both felt themselves beginning to relax, the comfort of the kiss surrounding them with security.

At that exact moment, the loud, booming voice of the grizzly made itself known. "Sharin' a last kiss, are we?" he asked sarcastically.

Beary and Jewel broke apart, a small shudder running through both of their bodies. They still had no idea who this guy was, and the fact that their backs were now towards him meant that he could attack them at any moment and the chains made them helpless to stop him.

The brown bear approached them and ran his paws slowly up and down Jewel's back, causing her to whimper when he knelt behind her. He wrapped his arms around her middle, pulling her body against him slightly, causing the cuffs to dig into her skin once again as he continued to feel her all over: Her chest, legs, and especially her inner thighs. His paws came to rest on her hips and he pulled her back against his pelvis.

She could feel him pressing against her backside, a low quiet whine breaking from her throat, the fear she felt making her heart slam against her chest and her limbs tremble despite the heat.

A snarl rumbled in Beary's throat. He wanted nothing more than to attack the bear for touching his friend and mate like that. "Get **_away_** from her!" he growled, struggling against his chains. The anger he felt at this moment canceled out all the fear he had felt before.

Thrasher paid him no attention, and continued feeling the young she-cub before getting up. "Yer healthy enough. Ya'll have a lot of cubs."

Beary was grateful that the monster got off of Jewel, but now terror began to fill him once more as the maniac moved towards him.

Thrasher knelt behind Beary, one large paw running down the young bear's body, stopping at his hips. He leaned forward, burying his nose in the fur along Beary's neckline. His teeth nipped at the skin as his paw slid forward, brushing against the younger bear's privates. Thrasher pushed his pelvis forward against Beary's backside, not entering him, but just pushing up against the coarse fur that felt so good against his. He touched and stroked, loving every moment of it. He wanted nothing more than to take this cub into bed and have his way with him.

Beary's eyes were wide at this uncomfortable arrangement. This… didn't feel so good. It felt so wrong… He could feel the other bear's privates pressing up against him, and it caused him to whimper loudly. He didn't know how long he was trapped there, being touched inappropriately, but finally, the grizzly left him alone and backed away.

"Ya gonna be good, too. Gonna get many pregnant. Many cubs."

The twelve-year-old male's eyes widened at the implication. "J-Jewel's my m-mate."

"Yer **_bonded_** mate. Ya decided ta breed. Ya gonna breed. I 'ready got yer whores."

Beary looked over at Jewel with eyes full of anguish. A million thoughts raced through his mind, each more petrifying than the next. Had he really made the right decision when he had decided to mate with Jewel in order to not be sold? Or had he put himself into a worse hell? He was going to be forced to be disloyal to Jewel?! The mere thought of it made him feel more ashamed of himself than ever before.

Jewel looked at her best friend and bonded mate. Was what the grizzly said true? Was Beary going to be forced onto other she-cubs? A few tears rolled down her cheeks at the mere notion. Beary was going to sleep with another female, more than likely **_multiple_** females, from the sounds of it. He was going to be taken away from her!

The she-cub began struggling against her bonds, wanting to attack this monster who dared suggest Beary betray her. "You leave him alone, you dim-witted ape!" she screeched.

Thrasher looked at her and grinned. "Yer a fiesty one. Ya gonna be branded first. That'll teach ya to not mouth off." He moved away from them, but not before flipping a switch that caused them to lose what little slack they had in the chains that bound their arms; how the chain was tightened, neither knew. Both cried out at the sudden pull that all but dislocated their shoulders and their faces were pushed against the wall. Their arms were pulled tight against their skulls and they could no longer move their heads to look at each other.

Both cubs were instantly filled with dread; they had a feeling that they were about to be in a lot of pain. Neither liked the sound of "branding", nor did they know exactly what it meant. The word sounded familiar, but it couldn't mean **_that_**, could it? He wasn't talking about branding as in the kind of branding ranchers use to mark their cattle as their own, was he?

They soon found out that, yes, that was the type of branding the grizzly had been talking about.

Thrasher approached them with the iron pole. The end of it was red hot and in the shape of a cat-of-nine-tails whip. He had used this on many and never got weary of their screams.

Jewel's scream were deafening when the hot iron pressed against her back, right between her shoulder blades. White hot pain filled her body, and the cuffs bit into her skin, making blood stream down her arms. It felt like an eternity before the iron was lifted away, leaving behind the melted fur and burning flesh.

"JEWEL!" Beary screamed when all fell silent. He didn't know if she had passed out or not; he hoped she did, so that she wouldn't feel any more pain. He finally decided to direct his anger on the sadistic monster that had done this to his friend. "How dare you! What the hell is wrong with you?!" he snarled. "You have no rig—AH!" He let out an ear-splitting scream as he felt the sting of the red hot metal against his back, melting his fur and skin.

He could only take the pain for a few more moments before blacking out.

.~*The Country Bears*~.

Derek winced at the piercing screams that echoed throughout the entire "base". There was feminine scream and one masculine one, and both were full of pain and anguish. He knew that they had been branded and now they belonged to the breeding program. They would never go home now.

He knew what was to happen next. Beary wouldn't be allowed another night to prepare himself for what was about to happen. He knew full well that the boy was going to be forced onto his first female—one that wasn't Jewel. He would wake up in bed with another slave.

The rage smoldering in his gut was enough for him to use all his strength to break the chains of the cuffs that imprisoned him. Thankfully, it was easier than it should have been, due to the fact that they were a bit rusty. Without delay, he got off the bed and knelt next to his mate. "Lei? Baby, can ya 'ear me?" He gripped her paw with one of his securely, happy that it was still warm. "P'ease, baby… P'ease wake up…"

She had been like this for almost fifteen minutes, lying in the ever-growing pool of blood. The silver she-bear didn't appear to be breathing, but as he held her paw, he knew she was. Otherwise she wouldn't be as warm as she was. He looked around for a spare roll of bandages, and, after finding one on the night stand, he reached up, took it, and carefully began wrap her head wound with it. "It, uh, may nawt be pe'fect, but it's gonna ha'fta do," he whispered as he finished. He then proceeded to check over her other wounds and, seeing that none were as severe as the head one, he let out a relieved sigh.

Once done, he carefully picked her up, straining with the effort, and set her on the bed he had previously occupied. "I'll be back, Lei-Lei… I have sum unfineeshed stuff ta do with zat monstah."

He gave her one last kiss on the lips before leaving the room.

_.~*~._

The panda stealthily crept down the hallway, completely ignoring the fact that he was naked—he hadn't seen his vest since Thrasher had had his way with him—slowly making his way towards the source of the screams, which had since died out. The hallway was almost completely silent. The only sound was of his paw pads and claws padding across the floor.

He finally reached the room where the screams had come from, and ducked inside. The room was all but completely dark, save for the dying embers in the fireplace.

Thrasher was nowhere to be found.

Beary and Jewel, however, were chained up with steam rising from their backs from the grotesque burns. Derek wouldn't have even noticed them if not for the reflection of the flames on the chains that bound the two cubs to the wall.

Looking at them, he knew immediately that they were in bad shape. Beary's wounds had reopened and the crimson blood slowly made its way down his back, staining his fur a rustic brown in the process.

Jewel's brand contrasted horribly with her golden fur. The deep red of the burn looked disgusting—not to mention the smell of burned flesh was terrible.

He shook his head and approached them, preparing to free them, only to freeze and run for cover. He hid in the corner nearest the fireplace, his black and dirty white fur allowing him to blend in somewhat with the dark corner.

The seven foot, four hundred fifty pound grizzly, Thrasher, entered the room once more and promptly went over to where Beary was chained up. He pulled a pair of keys out of his pocket and unlocked the cub.

The light brown cub, still out cold, fell backwards and didn't move until Thrasher roughly shoved him to the side, and then unlocked the cuffs around his ankles and began dragging the barely five foot tall, one hundred eighty-five pound cub, Beary, behind him. He continued pulling him down the hall before turning left and disappearing down another hallway.

He had left the keys still in the lock.

'_Oh, no_!' Derek mentally cried. He knew he wouldn't be any help to the small twelve-year-old, not now that Thrasher had him. That didn't stop him, however, from moving over to Jewel and, after grabbing the keys, unlocking her from her "prison".

The golden she-cub fell forward, however the panda caught her in his arms before she could injure herself further. He pulled her close to his body, being mindful of her injuries, and looked her over. He carefully leaned her forward and examined her back before moving her back against his stomach. "Ya injury ain't so bad… I zink…" he muttered before slowly getting up, struggling slightly under the she-cub's weight. "Fo such a youngen'… ya sure weigh a lot…"

Jewel remained still, the only movement was of her chest rising and falling. Her head rested against his chest and her right arm dangled. Every so often, as he carried her through the hallways heading towards the safety of the infirmary, she would moan and shift slightly in his arms.

"Shh…" he whispered as he entered the pure white sanctuary that was the infirmary. He passed through the medicine room and entered the patient ward of the makeshift hospital. Beds lined the twenty foot long walls, but only one was occupied by the silver she-bear, his lovely mate, Lei.

Gently, he lowered the golden she-cub onto the bed she had occupied the night before, and went back into the medicine room. He had to find the burn ointment. Hopefully, Thrasher hadn't gotten rid of it.

The black and white elder searched through all the cabinets, yet he couldn't find what he sought. "Th'asha 'eally iz a sick basta'd," he muttered. Just about every cabinet was empty. There were no pain killers, no burn ointments, hell, there wasn't even an asprin! "Damn it… Lei-Lei… Ya beddah wake soon… I… I don't know wha ta do…" As much as he detested admitting it, he truly had no control over the situation, something he hated.

For so long, he had had no control over his life or what happened around him, and now that he had… He didn't want to lose it.

.~*The Country Bears*~.

Two weeks.

It had been two weeks since Jewel had held Beary in her arms. Two weeks since she had seen his striking hazel eyes gazing into her own. Fourteen days and three hours since she had felt his gentle and loving touch. Three hundred thirty-nine hours since she had kissed his lips.

Jewel was curled up on her bed in the infirmary. On the bed next to hers was Derek and Lei, who were sleeping side by side with their arms wrapped around each other. Their expressions were peaceful, something that she deeply envied. Derek's arm was wrapped around his mate's waist and Lei was snuggled up against him, her nose pressed against his chest.

Lei had thankfully been okay, despite her head wound. She had ended up with a mild concussion; however, she was able to take care of Jewel's burn thanks to some ointment that she had hidden away a long time ago. It was a miracle that Jewel's burn hadn't been extremely serious.

Thrasher had arrived not long after Jewel's burn had been treated, and had cornered Lei. Lei had had no other choice than to tell him that Beary was an epileptic when asked; if she hadn't, Thrasher might have hurt Derek even further. However, she was able to convince him that Beary's condition had been brought on by trauma and was not genetic.

Jewel didn't know anything about what had happened, considering she had been unconscious at the time.

Time had passed and neither Beary nor Thrasher was heard from again.

Derek and Lei had been talking last night, talking about finally escaping this place and taking the two cubs with them.

They had told Jewel about this beautiful cabin they had out in the wilderness, away from here. It was their safe haven from this place, given to them from their old master, before Thrasher had come onto the scene. It was where they went when they weren't needed. Yes, Thrasher could track them down, but he wouldn't; not when he didn't have any use for them at the moment.

**F****LASHBAC****K**

_"However," Lei told her, "you won't be able to go home… He _**will**_ track you down and bring you back, and kill anyone who tries to stop him. You see, he marked you and Beary as his own. There's nothing anyone can do. That's why you can't go home. It's too dangerous." She sighed. "That's why we are going to take you back to our place, so that when… When Beary is finished with what Thrasher is forcing him to do… We'll leave."_

_"But why not free Beary?!" Jewel cried. "Why are you letting this happen?!"_

_"He's doin' dis ta protect ya, gurl!" __Derek interrupted. "Th'ashah is usin' ya ta his advantage! He t'eatened ya ta make suw the boy behaved!" His eyes turned soft. "He… He and his fazzur… did the same to me… They used Lei-Lei against me ta get me ta cooperate." He glanced at his mate sadly before looking at Jewel. "I weesh the same doesn't happen to you. Dat is why we take ya and da boy away."_

_"You can be safe there," the silver she-bear said softly, gently placing a paw on Derek's shoulder. "He can't touch you there."_

_"But-" Jewel began, but was interrupted when Lei placed a finger on her lips._

_"Shh, kiddo. It's going to be okay… I promise," she whispered. She wrapped her arms around the cub, holding her in her arms as Jewel cried. "Shh…" Lei rocked the young bear back and forth, doing everything she could to sooth the cub's broken heart… _

**E****N****D F****LASHBAC****K**

A single tear rolled down the young she-cub's cheek as she tightly wrapped the blanket around her small frame. The mere thought of what her mate was going through tore her heart in two. Was Beary really doing this to protect her? Did… Did he really care that much that he would go through hell for her?

Jewel knew that this shouldn't surprise her, and she knew that Beary **_would_** go to hell and back for her… She just couldn't understand **_why_** he would do that.

'_I suppose it's because he loves me, but… I… I just wish he wouldn't… He shouldn't have to do this just to protect me… Oh, Beary… Please… Please just come back to me… Don't put yourself through any more pain…_' she silently prayed. Softly, she spoke aloud. "My Beary… Come back to me…"


	12. Chapter Eleven

.~*Chapter Eleven*~.

It had been little more than two weeks since the hotel fire and the abduction of Beary and Jewel. So much had happened, but what was the most popular thing was the fact that Beary had been severely whipped by some mysterious person. At least, that was one thing that Jade knew about.

In the meantime, Jade Falco had been taking care of five-year-old Jordan until his father could get out of the hospital, and even then, she would stay in Salt Lake City to take care of James and eventually Tasha until they could return to Nashville.

The thirty-three-year-old she-bear had had one heck of a time taking care of the hyperactive five-year-old. She would never admit it out loud, but the cub was a handful, especially when he had some sugar. She definitely had her paws full with this one.

However, for the time being, she was relieved of the duty of watching over her "nephew", and was visiting her friend, Tasha. She had left Jordan with his aunt and uncle in the waiting room.

Meanwhile, Tasha looked much better than she had a few days ago, her burns slowly beginning to heal. She still had yet to meet her daughter—the doctors had been taking extra precautions, none of which she liked.

Currently, she was sitting up in the bed, in a little bit of pain, but feeling better than she had in a while. The doctor had finally left, after sticking her against with one of those dreaded needles. "Damn things… Now I know why my patients don't like them," she muttered softly.

Jade chuckled darkly from the doorway. "But you doctors enjoy sticking your patients with said needles."

Tasha blinked and looked at the doorway in surprise, not expecting to see her longtime friend standing there. "Jade?" She blinked several times and gently rubbed her eyes. "Are you really there?"

The black furred, green eyed she-bear knew that since Tasha had been drugged for the past two weeks, it was possible that she didn't remember seeing Jade there before. "Of course I'm here. Somebody has to look after my best buddy Jordan." She grinned and pulled up a nearby chair.

The black furred, blue eyed she-bear in the bed was confused. "What happened to James?" It was obvious that she was about to start panicking. "No one tells me anything!"

"James has a few burns. Nothing major, well, except for his busted ankle. But apparently Trixie called me to come and take care of Jordan." Jade looked at her friend accusingly. "I didn't know you had a sister."

"I thought I told you about Trix. Huh… I could have sworn I told you." She shrugged and hissed at the pain in her shoulders. "Ooo… Ouch. Never doing that again." She glanced at her burned arms sadly, then at her friend. "Jade… Do… Do you have a mirror?"

"I don't."

"Could you find me one? I… I want to see…"

"Uh…" Jade glanced around, yet not really looking for a mirror. She didn't want her friend to see the hideous burns.

Tasha waited patiently, but when her friend hadn't found a mirror after five minutes, she realized that Jade wasn't searching for one after all. "Jade, tell me honestly." She took a deep breath. "How bad is it?"

Jade looked her over, examining the burns, which were beginning to peel. It was disgusting to look at and she almost barfed at the sight. "Give it time and you'll be back to good as new."

"Jade…"

"What?"

"Come on, Jadey-lady. Be brutal."

"I… I can't."

Tasha studied her friend for a moment before looking away. "That bad, huh?"

"Yeah… Ya look like the bear version of Freddy Kruger."

She received a weak chuckle in reply. "I'm going to scare Jordan," Tasha pouted, then sighed. After a few minutes, she began to speak again. "So… What happened?"

"I'm… not really sure, honestly."

"Who else is hurt? Are the guys okay? Is Trixie? She didn't get hurt, did she? Is that why she couldn't take care of Jordan?"

"Nah, they're okay, but… uh…"

The blue eyed she-bear detected the hesitation in Jade's voice, and immediately understood that something was wrong. "W-What happened? Who's dead?"

"Well…" Jade began, looking away. "Nobody is dead… Just… Beary and Jewel are missing."

"Jade, don't joke around like that."

"I'm not."

Tasha immediately began to get up, causing the machines around her to go haywire. Several started wailing, but she paid no attention to the sirens. "We have to find them!" She took out the IV, not caring that this was stupid idea. "Jewel was my responsibility!"

"Ah! Ursute, no! SIT YOUR ASS DOWN!" Jade shrieked, placing her paws on Tasha's shoulders, trying to hold her down.

The injured she-bear refused to listen and continued to get out of the bed. She also finished pulling out the rest of the wires attached to her body. "Get out of my way, Jade." She then gripped Jade's shoulders, using her friend as support. Even in her weakened state, she was stronger than her friend.

"Damn it, Tasha! Sit down!" In her struggle with her friend, she accidently jabbed one of her friend's burns.

Tasha let out a pained scream, almost deafening her friend in the process, and falls to her knees. Pain radiated throughout her entire body and she's wheezing heavily. She gripped her friend's clothes tightly, using Jade as support. She just about pulled Jade's pants down—the side of her pants, that is; she did rip Jade's shirt a bit when she first began to fall.

Jade used one paw to hold up her pants, and the other to hold onto her friend. "I NEED A DOCTOR IN HERE!"

A man in a white coat immediately rushed in, followed by a couple of nurses, and helped Jade get Tasha back into the bed. "What the hell happened?!" the doctor demanded as he started checking over his patient.

"Obviously, she tried to get up!"

"Well, duh! I mean what did you tell her to make her act like this?" he asked rudely.

"Who the hell cares?" she asked, agitated.

"If you want to be like that, you can just get out and stop upsetting my patient!"

"No!" Tasha screeched, reaching for her. "Jade!"

Dr. Parker glared at Jade. "See what you've done? You've upset her! Now we have to sedate her again, and we've been trying to get her off the drugs!" He glances at the nurses who are struggling with keeping the black she-bear down and still on the bed. They continue to hold her the best they can as he sedated her again.

"Unfortunately, it's better for her to be drugged up," Jade mumbled as she watched her longtime friend struggle against the effects of the drug. It pained her to see Tasha like this, but she knew there was no other way for the anxious she-bear to get some rest and calm down. '_Sorry, Tash. But this is the only way,_' she silently told her friend. Her lip curled slightly when she heard the good doctor grumble something rather nasty at her. "And they wonder why I refuse to go to the doctor's. It's assholes like you…" she broke off before she said something stupid that would get her into trouble.

Doctor Parker, meanwhile, closed the curtains that surrounded his patient's bed.

Jade, sighing, turned to leave the room, only to see James, who was being wheeled into the room by a nurse. In his arms was a small pink bundle. Sticking out of the hole in the blanket was a tiny blackish-brown snout.

"Now remember, Mr. Stone, you only have a few minutes. Then the baby must go back in the incubator. The only reason the doctor let you do this is because this room is sterilized. I'll be back in a five minutes," the nurse said before leaving the room.

James thanked her and looked around the room. Immediately, he spotted Jade, who was just staring at him in surprise. "Jade? Finally got up here, did you? Well, got away from the little monster, that is," he chuckled.

"Yeah." She couldn't keep her eyes off the tiny bundle.

"How's Jordy doing? Has he driven you crazy yet? Well… Crazier?"

"Uh…" Jade wasn't exactly in the mood to talk, considering what just happened to Tasha. All she wanted to do at this point was to take off and keep driving.

The bundle cooed as a tiny ebony paw reached through the only opening in the pink blanket. James looked down at his daughter and smiled softly before looking back up at Jade. "Jade… I want you to meet Erin Jadith Stone."

Jade blinked and looked at the bundle again. "She's tiny," she commented.

"She's a month and a half premature, Jade. What did you expect?" He carefully held the bundle out to her. "Do you want to hold her?"

"Uh… N-no. I'm good."

"Jade, I insist."

"Not now, James… I might drop her." Sure, it was a stupid excuse, but she really, really wanted to get out of the room.

"Well, you'd better get used to holding her, Jade. Tasha and I were going to wait to tell you, until Erin was born, that is… but… since she's early… I guess we can tell you now… Well, I can tell you…"

She sighed exasperated. "James, get on with it."

He took a deep breath. "Tasha and I want you to be her godmother, Jade."

That was definitely not what she had expected him to say. "W-What?"

"We want you as her godmother, if that's all right with you. We can't think of anyone else…"

"Yeah, of course it's okay. I just didn't expect it."

"Good," he grinned before looking at the curtain in confusion. "Why is that up? Is something wrong with Tasha?"

"She… uh, tried to get out of bed."

James blinked and sighed. "Doctors make the worst patients…"

"Uh… yeah… Sorry, James, but I think I'm going to go find my demonic charge."

The black male bear laughed. "Good luck with that." He paused to think. "Last time I saw him… that is, when he came for a quick visit, Ted was watching him. Trix and Ten had to go down to the station. Apparently something came up. Anyway, yeah. I think Ted said something about getting him some food in the cafeteria."

"Ted?" Jade questioned before grinning slyly. She had always wanted to meet the famed black bear.

"That's what I said, didn't I?" He smiled at her grin.

"Ursute, I hope he doesn't give him anything with sugar in it."

"Uh, well… I think you're in trouble. You see, Ted isn't that good with kids. Well, he is, but… He said he was going to get him some ice cream and maybe a soda."

"Great. I'll see you later James."

"Oh, Jade?" he called before she could make her escape.

Jade's paw hovered over the door handle and she sighed. "What, James?"

He continued on with his statement quietly, so as to not alert anyone else in the room. "Isn't that the outfit you were wearing when you got here two weeks ago?" He knew she would be embarrassed at the question, but he cared about her. He wanted to know that she would be okay.

She immediately stiffened and gripped the door handle tightly. "I didn't have time to go shopping, okay? So I wore the surgical scrubs I, uh, _borrowed_…while I washed the clothes and vice versa, okay?" She didn't want to admit that she had forgotten most of her money at home when she had left Tennessee in such a hurry. She hadn't even had a chance to pack any clothes.

"You know you could always ask Trixie for a clothing loan…"

"I'm fine, James," she replied, a small growl in her throat. With that, she took her leave.

.~*The Country Bears*~.

The cafeteria wasn't as busy as it usually was, with only a few doctors and nurses having some time to stop and grab a bite to eat before the next emergency that would cause them to rely on coffee to survive. There were only a few other people in the room, who were sitting and eating. Most were the families of patients.

Ted Bedderhead, wearing a black, suave leather jacket—much like his normal concert one—was sitting at a table in the corner of the room, where it was less busy, eating a bowl of ice cream that he was splitting with the small black cub, Jordan. While eating, he told the cub a story.

Jordan sat across from his "uncle", enjoying the ice cream—which he had topped with all sorts of goodies, well, what he could find in the cafeteria, that is. His nose and snout were covered in the delicious dessert, but he didn't care as he continued to dig into the strawberry and chocolate goodness.

Ted paused in his storytelling, and quickly reached across the table and wiped the cub's mouth with a napkin. "Sheesh, Jordan. Keep it in your mouth. If you're not careful, you're goin' to need a bath."

The five-year-old shook his head. "Nuh-uh! No bath!"

He chuckled at the cub's expression. "That's right, lil guy. No bath." He grinned and sat back. "Now… Like I was sayin', I've never seen **_anythin'_** so crazy as that boy on sugar. It was utter chaos at the _Hall_. He actually tackled your Uncle Fred to the ground and sounded like that one creepy dude from the _Lord of the Rings_. He was holdin' the energy drink and goin' '_my precious!_'"

Jordan giggled uncontrollably.

Meanwhile, Jade entered the cafeteria and looked around. There were just enough people in the room that caused her to make sure she had spotted the correct person before moving anywhere.

At that exact moment, Jordan let out a shriek of laughter when Ted's spoon missed his mouth and the ice cream went up his nose.

Ted let out a startled shout and jumped around, shrieking like a little girl. "Ah! Cold! Cold, cold, cold!"

Jade rolled her eyes at the sight. "Found them."

The black bear continued to hold his nose, trying to get the invading coldness out. Jordan, meanwhile, took the time to eat even more ice cream.

Still watching them, Jade made her way over.

Ted was still holding his nose and didn't notice her as he continued his "ice cream dance". Naturally, he ended up crashing into her. The pair of them fell to the floor, and as fate would have it, their lips locked.

Jade's eyes widened considerably, and a growl rose in her throat.

Ted's eyes expanded as well, and he quickly scrambled off of her. "Uh… Watch where you're goin'," he growled, being his usual ego-centric self.

The cub snorted into his ice cream, finding the situation hilarious.

"W-Watch where I'm going?!" the she-bear questioned, her lips curling slightly.

"Yeah. You heard me."

She growled and looked over at her charge. She was about ready to deck the older bear. "Kiddo, you're a mess!" She grinned slightly when he smiled.

Jordan pointed at Ted and giggled. "His fault, Aunty Jade," the cub snickered.

"A-Aunty Jade?" Ted blinked, surprised.

Jade ignored him and continued looking at her charge. "I'm very well aware of that, Jordy."

"How Mama? She miss Jo'dy?" the cub asked.

"Of course she misses you."

Ted, meanwhile, was annoyed and took the she-bear ignoring him as an insult. "Hey, don't you know who I am?"

"You give her drawring?" Jordan asked at the same time.

Answering both their questions, Jade nodded. "Yes." She then looked solely at Ted. "And would you believe I don't care?"

His eyes widened.

"She like it?" the cub asked.

"Yes, Jordan. She liked it. Now, hurry up and finish your ice cream."

"We have to go?" he asked, disappointed. "B-But Uncle Ted was gonna finish story!"

"He can finish while you eat your ice cream then," she said as she sat down. Jordan cheered, and Jade checked her phone.

Ted, still upset, sat back down and tried to get back into his previous mood. "Now… Where was I…?"

"'My precious'," Jordan grinned.

"Ah, yes. Well, like I was sayin', Beary was completely crazy. It was both hilarious and scary…"

**F****LASHBAC****K**

_"Beary! Calm down!" Henry laughed, chasing the super-energized ten-year-old around the front yard._

_It was a beautiful September afternoon. Beary had come to the _Hall_ for band practice… and things had taken an interesting turn…_

_The light brown, white faced cub in question let out an evil giggle—which really sounded like a bunch of evil chipmunks laughing—and raced away at almost lightning-like speed, avoiding Henry's arms when he tried to catch him. "Never!"_

_Ted glanced at his brother, unsure of what to think. Ever since the young cub had stepped out of the green Charger, not ten minutes before, he had been a raging ball of wild fur. He had started talking extremely fast and had immediately sprinted across the yard towards the nearest tree. He began to climb before jumping down from the lowest limb—which had been almost ten feet off the ground—and had sprinted past Henry._

_Fred blinked several times, watching the cub with confusion. "What's gotten into him?" he asked._

_The older Bedderhead shrugged and went back to watching the cub with interest._

_Zeb was wandering around, near the pond, when he spotted the hyperactive cub bounding towards him, full speed. He blinked several times before he turned and began running._

_"Uh-oh," Fred groaned, wincing as the fiddler was tackled into the pond, a large splash wave surrounding him. It was like a scene out of a cartoon as Beary stood in the pond, most likely standing on top of Zeb, and beat his chest shouting 'Me, Tarzan!' before jumping back to the shore and rushing off, disappearing behind some trees._

_Zeb, meanwhile, sat up—thankfully the pond wasn't _**that**_ deep—coughing and gasping for air. He looked like, for lack of a better word, a drowned rat. "What the hell?!" he shouted when he had enough breath._

_Ted couldn't help but laugh loudly at the predicament his friend found himself in. Next to him, his brother had doubled over laughing as well. Amusement could be heard all over the yard, except from Zeb, who was spitting out pond water. _

_Beary, meanwhile, had climbed another tall tree and sat on one of the higher branches, staring down at them all like a vulture. He was grinning like a Cheshire cat as he took another sip of his energy drink._

_Ted and Fred met with Trixie, Tennessee, and Henry under the tree, and, like the others, looked up at the cub that glared down at them. "Beary, get down here!" Henry called, his voice holding a trace of panic._

_"Never!" the super-excited cub replied._

_"What are you doin' up there, anyway?" Fred questioned loudly._

_"Watching for pirates!"_

_Tennessee looked at his girlfriend, confused. "'Pirates'?"_

_"Cubs will be cubs, Tenny," she replied, grinning._

_"This cub is-" The thang player's eyes widened when he saw Beary about to jump. "Don't you dare!" he shouted._

_Beary, of course, didn't listen as he inched closer and closer towards the outer part of the branch before jumping, yelling like a madman._

_Fred's eyes widened and he, along with everyone else, moved to catch the cub. However, the great brown bear became a trampoline against his will when the cub chose to land on top of him, causing them both to collapse to the ground. "Oof!" he cried when Beary landed on his stomach. Thankfully, all his fat kept him from harm._

_Beary didn't waste any time getting up and taking off again, running away at full speed, laughing his head off._

_"Are you all right?!" Ted questioned, attempting to help his baby brother stand up; he needed both Tennessee's and Henry's help getting the rather chubby bear upright._

_"Ow… yeah, I'm fine… I think…" he groaned, rubbing the back of his head. "What hit me?"_

_"Beary."_

_The dark brown bear blinked several times. "Beary…?"_

_"He, er… sorta landed on top of you," Henry explained, watching the cub cartwheel around the yard._

_"Do I even want to know what is going on?" Roadie asked as he came over to the group._

_As one, the others answered him. "No."_

_The human blinked several times and shrugged. "You're all so weird."_

_"Yup," they all replied, extremely distracted; Beary had now started rocking out on the porch with an air guitar._

_"Okay, we need a plan. Roadie, go ask Big Al for some rope and a blanket. We may have to jump him and tie him up," Henry said, extremely serious. Roadie blinked at first, not believing the words coming out of the elder bear's mouth, but nodded and went to find the gray bear._

_"Mind if I'm the one who jumps him?" Zeb asked, walking over to the group, still soaking wet. He cracked his knuckles. "I wanna get my paws on that fuzzball."_

_Ted couldn't help but laugh loudly at the fiddler. "Z-Zeb," he snickered, "you look like a drowned rat!"_

_"Smells like one, too," Tennessee teased._

_The auburn bear frowned and glared at his so-called friends before sticking his tongue out at them. "Jerks. I don't smell that bad…" he complained._

_The others just snickered, and then looked back at the porch, only to find Beary gone._

_"Where did he go now?" Trixie wondered aloud, glancing around._

_Tennessee shrugged and began walking towards his cabin, where he was sure was the only safe place at the moment. However, he didn't make it very far before he let out a girl-like squeal and leapt into Trixie's arms, causing her to collapse under the weight. They landed in a very awkward position._

_Beary was standing where Tennessee stood moments before, laughing crazily._

_Ted and Henry looked at each other over the cub's head, before nodding. They both made a grab for him, and ended up bumping heads, due to the fact that Beary had yet again avoided them._

_"Youch!" the two older bears cried out, holding their heads._

_Zeb snickered. "Brilliant job. Can't even catch a cub."_

_Ted growled at him before looking around for the wayward cub. Spotting him over by the tall sycamore tree, messing around with something, he frowned. "Hey! Kid!" he called, walking over towards him._

_"That's right, Ted," Zeb muttered. "Keep him focused on you while the rest of us figure out a way to jump him."_

_Ted continued walking, unaware of the trap he was walking into. One moment he was walking under the tree, and the next, he was dangling by one foot under it._

_The others turned at the singer's loud shout, and stared wide eyed at Ted, how had one leg stringed up with a rope. He was hanging about two feet off the ground, yelling his head off. _

_Beary was rolling around on the ground near the black bear, practically screaming with laughter. "That was awesome!"_

_"BEARY!" Ted shouted, furious. "GET ME DOWN!" His arms were dangling, his fingers just barely brushing the ground. His jean jacket hung past his head, giving his head a blue backdrop. He slowly turned around in circles with the rope._

_It was at this moment that the others started laughing. The lead singer looked ridiculous. _

_"Why are ya hangin' around, Ted?" Zeb snickered._

_"You forgot the tire for the tire swin'," Fred chuckled._

_"You look ridiculous," Tennessee pointed out._

_The others glanced at him, their expressions mellow. "Thank you, Captain Obvious," Trixie groaned, smacking his arm playfully._

_"What'd I say?" the thang player questioned, confused. His girlfriend rolled her eyes._

_"Let's go get him," Henry sighed. "Then we can chase down the monster. He should be getting tired soon…"_

_"If only…"_

_The group of adults made their way over towards their bandmate and was just about to untie him when-_

_"Hi!" Beary shouted excitedly, standing behind them._

_"Gah!" Henry shouted, jumping slightly._

_"RUN!" Roadie and Al shouted from a little ways away. The others quickly looked over and saw that the human and bear had been tied together._

_Before they could move, Beary was running around them in circles, a rope in his paw. No sooner had they realized this had the psychotic cub tied the thick rope, pulling them all close together. He cackled and took off again._

_All it took was for one of them to take a wrong step, and they all collapsed on top of that person, who unfortunately had been Henry._

_"Oof!" the elder bear cried, currently being crushed under all the bears. "Geroff!"_

_"Kinda hard to do, Hen," Fred commented, swinging his legs helplessly in the air._

_"Zeb, I suggest you remove your paw before I kill you," Trixie growled._

_"Uh… Not my fault! I can-"_

_"MOVE!"_

_"Okay, okay! I'll try!"_

_"Fred, you weigh a lot," Tennessee complained._

_Ted watched all this in amusement from his viewpoint, grinning. "Brilliant job," he snickered._

_"Shut up," the others complained…_

**E****N****D F****LASHBAC****K**

Jade was trying very hard not to smirk due to the fact that she knew the story. It was her that dropped Beary off that day at the _Hall_, due to Allison having gotten ill and Norbert had to take care of her; Dex was no help, because he had disappeared. Anyway, it had been her energy drinks that Beary had gotten into. She had watched the chaos unfold from the safety of her car. She had recorded the entire thing on her camera.

"Utter chaos," Ted shook his head. "Well, anyway, finally the kid fell asleep, leaving us all tied up out in the front yard. You know, there was this pretty she-bear that came to our rescue a little bit later. She had the prettiest smile… So, yeah. She untied us and then she said she had to leave. To this day, I still don't know who she was. If you ask me, she was an angel." He couldn't help but glance at Jade out of the corner of his eye for a moment before looking at Jordan again. "We got Beary, who was still asleep, thankfully, into the _Hall_. He slept for a good four hours. Totally wasted our practice time, but…" He scratched his chin. "I think it was worth it."

Jordan looked upset that the story was over, and he had almost finished his ice cream.

Jade couldn't help but smile a bit.

"Anyway, you better your ice cream, Jordan. You're, uh, "aunt" wants to go home," Ted finished.

"Home. Yeah, right," Jade snorted.

"Don't you live around here?" he questioned, slightly confused.

"Ugh, hell no. I had to drive here all the way from freakin Tennessee."

The singer blinked, surprised. "You live in Tennessee, too? Where?"

"Shelbyville."

"Then… How do you know Tasha and James? Where'd ya meet?"

"Tasha is my best friend."

"That, uh, tells me nothin'…"

"Nuh-uh!" Jordan interrupted. "She tell you zey bez f'iends!"

The forty-six-year-old glanced at the cub and raised an eyebrow.

Jordan giggled and Jade smirked.

"Smart alec," Ted snickered, sticking his tongue out at him.

The cub responded by flinging one of the last spoonfuls of ice cream at the older bear, grinning when it smacked him square in the forehead. His laughter was joined by Jade, and he only stopped when he saw Ted's angry expression. He knew he had done something bad.

"Hm…" the singer said thoughtfully as he scooped up the last of the ice cream and flung it. However, it didn't reach the intended target. Immediately, he began wondering if he should run.

Jade growled angrily and wiped the cold substance off of her face. "These are the only clean clothes I have right now. Do not even start with your stupid games."

Ted fell silent and avoided her gaze.

Jordan, however, found it rather funny. "Aunty Jade smelly. Too wazy to get new c'othes."

"Uh…" the singer mumbled, unsure of what he should say.

The five-year-old giggled against and poked Jade in the side at a rather ticklish spot. "Pway?"

Jade rolled her eyes. "I haven't had time to get new clothes because I've had to babysit a monster!" she said playfully, tickling the cub.

Jordan immediately ducked away and growled. "I a monstah! Rawr!" He raised his arms above his head and did his best Godzilla impression.

Ted actually laughed, his throat rumbling in the process. His laughter was warm and comforting.

"Yes, yes you are a monster," Jade grinned, grabbing the cub and tickled him.

The cub squealed loudly, trying to get away. "Uncle Teddy! Help Jo'dy!"

Ted continued to laugh. "Nah." After his laughter dies out, he studied Jade's smile and blinked. "I know you from somewhere… A concert…? No, I don't think that's it… Hm…"

Meanwhile, a nurse wandered over with a frown on her face. "Excuse me, but this is not a playground. If you want to horse around, go to the outside tables."

Ted glanced up at her. "Sorry."

After Jordan was released from Jade's torturous grasp, he did what his mother always taught him to do. "I sowi."

Another nurse wandered over, joining the first, and looked at the three black bears. "Such a nice family. A loving mother and father, raising a respectable young gentleman."

Jade blinked and watched as the nurses left, having been called for an emergency.

Ted's eyes were wide and he nervously pulled at his jacket collar. He was totally embarrassed. "Anybody else hot? I mean, besides you?" he questioned, looking at Jade. His eyes widened when he realizes what he said.

Jade blushed horribly, but was extremely glad that her dark fur hid the blush. However, she was able to handle the embarrassment well. "Mmm… Nope. I believe it's just you."

He was still super embarrassed, but remained egotistical. "Yeah, I know I'm hot," he said, posing.

Jordan giggled at the silly posture, and Jade rolled her eyes, smiling slightly.

Ted grinned and sighed. "Well… I can see that you have everything under control here… I guess I'll talk to you later… I-I mean, I'll see you later, Jade. I mean, Jordan." Blushing horribly, he stood, knocking over his cup of soda in the process. "Ah, darn it." He hastily cleaned it up, but not before some of the orange liquid spilled onto Jade's shirt. Without thinking, he grabbed another napkin and started wiping her shirt.

At first, Jade blinked and then a growl escapes her throat. "Excuse me, but I can clean myself off." She pushed him away, obviously agitated now that she has to start wearing her back up outfit, the surgical scrubs. She was one unhappy she-bear.

"I am so sorry!" Ted cried, horrified as he hastily backed away. "I'll pay for your clothes! I swear I will!"

Jordan, meanwhile, was watching this with interest.

The black she-bear blinked several times, surprised at this. "Really?" She watched as he nodded and crossed his heart. She raised an eyebrow. "Hm…"

"Please, let me make it up to you." He was really looking for any excuse to get away from the others for a while, but yet… He wanted to spend time with her. It wasn't every day that he met a she-bear that didn't worship at his feet or deny him. It was… Interesting. He was tired of other females just hanging on his every word and worshipping him. Sure, it was fun to begin with, but it quickly got old. It prevented him from finding someone he was truly interested in, and who was actually interested in him, and not just because he was rich and famous.

That's what his last girlfriend did… She wanted him for his money and had led him on for multiple years. She ended up breaking his heart when she left him standing at the altar.

"Well… I guess I could use your help to get outta this damn suit," Jade replied.

Ted blinked several times, stunned at her choice of words. "Uh…"

She blushed again. "That's not what I meant!" Her voice was a bit shrill, but she didn't care. She couldn't believe what she had said.

He shook his head. "Anyway…" He glanced at Jordan. "Better hurry up and get done, little dude. We got some shoppin' to do."

"He's right, buddy. Hurry up." Jade couldn't wait to get out of this darn hospital and her outfit.

Ted grinned and looked at Jade. "Yeah. Anyway, I need to get some more clothes, anyway. Most were burned in the fire…"

Jordan went back to finishing his soda, taking his sweet time.

Jade frowned. "I got a phone call from, uh… Trixie… saying I needed to get here as soon as I could. So, I had to leave work without getting any clothes…"

"That… uh… stinks." He sighed softly. "I'm glad you got here when you did, though. Trixie and Tennessee were in no condition to watch Jordan… Not with…" he broke off when his cell phone began to ring. He pulled it out of his pocket and looked at the caller ID, seeing that it was Fred. "Uh… I gotta take this. Be right back, and then we can go." With that, he walked outside where he got better reception.

Jade remained inside with the cub, drumming her fingers on the table for a good fifteen minutes. She was getting rather annoyed at the fact that Ted hadn't come back yet. "I don't think he's coming back, Jordan…"

The cub looked around, and then let out a cry. "Zer he is!" he cried, pointing towards the door where a somber and horrified looking Ted Bedderhead was standing in the doorway.

Jade turned and looked at him. "What happened?"

Ted slowly made his way over to them and shook his head. "Nothin'…" he said unconvincingly. He didn't want to speak of what happened in front of Jordan, and he wasn't sure if Jade knew about Beary and Jewel.

The she-bear frowned. "Uh-huh. Anyways… We'll do this shopping thing later, then."

"No! I mean, no… I'd rather do it now. I don't want to go back to the hotel…" He was looking for any excuse to keep himself busy. He looked at her with pleading eyes. "Please."

"Uh… Okay…"

"I done!" Jordan cried, not noticing the tense atmosphere.

"Good. We can go now."

The cub grinned and looked at Ted. "You come, too?"

Ted looked at Jade. "I am, right? Or do you want me to give you some money and then we go our separate ways?" Secretly, he was hoping that she would agree to take him with her.

"Nah. I guess you can come," she smiled, her tone playful.

He gave her a grateful look, the looked at Jordan, who had snuck out from underneath the table and was now sitting opposite of Jade. "Come on, Jordan." He picked him up. "You need to go to the bathroom before we go?"

"Nope!"

"You sure?"

"Duh."

Ted rolled his eyes and held his paw out to Jade, wondering if she would allow him to help her up.

"Take him anyways," the she-bear said, getting up on her own and brushing past him. "To the bathroom, that is."

Ted winced slightly, knowing he had just been shot down. "Oh. Okay." With that, he carried Jordan down the hallway towards the bathrooms.

Jade followed, not letting on that she, herself, had to go to the bathroom.

Five minutes later, Ted and Jordan were waiting outside in the hallway for Jade, and Jordan was getting rather impatient.

"Can we go **_now_**?! Dis p'ace borin'!" he complained.

"We have to wait for your aunt. Say… Is she really your aunt? She doesn't exactly act like Tasha… Maybe she's James' cousin…"

The cub looked at him confused.

"Who is she, anyway…"

At that moment, Jade reappeared. "Who's who?" she questioned.

"Uh, no one," Ted replied with wide eyes. He hadn't expected to hear her voice.

"He wikes you," Jordan grinned, looking at Jade.

The older bear's eyes widened even further. "Uh, no I don't!" he lied.

Jade, however, grinned. "Who doesn't, Jordan?"

Ted breathed a sigh of relief. That was a close call.

Jordan, meanwhile, giggled.

The she-bear sighed. "Well… Other than Beary when he first met me, cause I made Jewel cry." She shrugged. "Cause I'm a mean aunty Jade."

"You ain't mean!" The cub argued.

Ted, however, blinked. "You know Beary? I kinda figured you knew Jewel, because you know James and Tasha…"

"I used to babysit him all the time. Him and Jewel both."

"Huh… Well, that practically makes you family." He grinned playfully.

"Yeah, so I've heard. I don't know how to tell you how many times I've had to sit there and listen to stupid _Country Bear_ albums."

"Hey!"

"Uh-oh," Jordan gasped, covering his mouth.

"Just because I know who you are doesn't mean I listen to your music," Jade continued.

"You just said you had to listen to us, so don't go saying you don't listen when you did. Ha. I win." The older bear grinned happily as they continued walking down the hallway.

"Not really my kind of music," she grinned. Sure, it was only half true, but no one needed to know that.

"Then what is your kind of music?"

"A little bit of everything, I guess. There's really no set style. You guys were good in the beginning but the years leading up to the fall apart, ya really went downhill."

"Yeah, I know…" Ted said, scratching the back of his head. He was feeling rather vulnerable at the moment due to the phone call he had received from his younger brother minutes before. "Part of it is my fault. Actually, all of it is my fault, I guess…"

Jade shrugged. "Haven't heard anything new from you guys," she said, getting the keys to her car out of her pocket. They were now in the parking lot. It was amazing how fast they reached the car while they had been talking.

"We've written a couple of new songs with Beary…" Ted broke off, unhappy again. "He made us a family again…"

Jordan was walking in front of them, not really paying attention. He was rambling on about something completely random.

"Jordan, stay close. You're in a parking lot," Jade warned. She chose not to comment about what Ted had said.

"I know!"

They finally reached Jade's super sexy lime green Dodge Charger—at least, that's how she described it. It was now painfully obvious that she had a lot of money.

Ted gave a low whistle. "Nice car."

"Thanks…"

"Real nice…"

Jade rolled her eyes and unlocked the car. "All right, Jordan. Back seat."

"Aww…" the cub grumbled, getting in.

Ted closed the door after Jordan got in, and hesitated before getting into the front seat. "You sure you want me comin' with you?"

Jade nodded. "Looks like ya need the time away. Besides two sets of eyes on Jordan are better then one." She glanced back at her young charge, watching as he got out his mp3 player and began listening to music with his headphones on.

Ted nodded and got in. He took the sunglasses off and rubbed his snout. "So many problems…" He sighed and looked at Jade. "So, you know about Beary and Jewel… You know what happened, right?" He glances back to make sure Jordan can't hear them. "Geez… He has those up loud…"

"Yes, I do know about what happened… and I'm just as worried as you guys are." With that, she started the engine and they slowly made their way out of the parking lot.

"I don't suppose you know what the FBI has found out… who kidnapped them…"

"I do, but I chose not to really listen all that much. I keep picking up bits and pieces, though, and it's very… unsettling."

"Not as unsettlin' as what I just found out…"

"I don't want to know…" Secretly, she was desperate for any news on two of her favorite cubs, but some part of her knew that this was something she truly didn't want to know.

"Probably for the best…" He wants to share this burden with someone else, but he's hesitant with her. One part of him doesn't want her to feel the same horror he felt, but the other part of him wanted to get the weight off his chest.

A long awkward silence followed his statement that was only broken by Jordan, who was mumbling along to whatever song he was listening too.

Ted, not thinking, decided to speak out of the blue, and as fate would have it, Jade was driving rather fast—there had been no stoplights or other cars in sight, probably because they were kinda way out of the way. "Beary and Jewel took each other as mates."

He should have waited to say anything as Jade reacted, her arms jerking and she nearly lost control of the car. "WHAT?!" she screeched.

Ted held onto the OMG bar—the little handlebar above the door—for dear life. "HOLY CRAP, WOMAN!"

"WEE!" Jordan shrieked, raising his arms in the air, enjoying this.

Jade quickly slowed down and steadied the car. "Great Ursute!" She glared at her fellow adult, who had his paw on his chest, trying to control his breathing.

"Never do that again," they both said at the same time.

"Again! Again!" Jordan cried.

No one answered the cub. Jade had fallen eerily silent, and Ted was trying to calm down. Once he succeeded, he glanced over at Jade. "Sorry…"

No reply.

He turned his head and looked out the windshield. "I, uh… figured that, uh, since you knew them… you ought ta know…"

"It's… Just… wow…" the she-bear replied softly. Her mind was still trying to come to terms with the whole thing. Two cubs were now bound forever to each other. Surely it could be fixed once they were found, that they could be separated and it declared void… right?

Ted nodded. "The most upsettin' thing is that we could have bought their freedom… but apparently they chose each other over freedom. It's… confusin'…"

Jade shrugged. "Love makes you stupid."

"Ain't that the truth," he sighed. "The sick bastards sent a video… They made Trixie, Tennessee, Allison, Norbert, and Henry watch a porn video with the two cubs." His voice shook with anger. He knew he probably didn't have to tell her that, but everything was just spilling out. For some reason, he felt as if he could be himself around her.

"Ew."

"Tell me about it. I… I'm really worried about the kid… Without his epilepsy meds…"

Jade groaned. "Forgot about that."

Ted nodded. "No one has any idea what is gonna to happen if those bastards find out about his… _condition_…" He went on without emotion. "Probably kill him and sell Jewel…"

She looked at him, her expression slightly angered. "Why would you even say something like that, let alone think it?!" she growled.

He glanced at her. "Just how much do you know about their kidnappers? Do you know why Beary and Jewel were taken? They're being forced to be breeders! And since Beary's a male, he's gonna be forced on who knows how many other females! He practically sold his body! And if they found out about his condition, they'll kill him! No one wants his "disease" to damage future goods!" He was majorly upset. He didn't mean to take all this out on Jade, but right now he couldn't control his emotions. He didn't know what he was saying, and at this point, he didn't care. He was showing a side of him that no one would've expected. He was showing a vulnerable, caring side filled with the worry of a parent.

Jade gripped the steering wheel tightly, trying to keep her emotions in check. "Yes, actually, I **_did_** know that."

Ted's angry expression turned to one of confusion and surprise. He clenched his fists tightly, his claws digging into his palm, which were beginning to bleed, but not enough to cause alarm. He looked into her green eyes, hoping to see some kind of reassurance that everything would be okay, even though all he could see was the corner of one of her eyes. "I… I'm sorry…" Ever so softly, he went on. "I… I just want them to come home… safe and alive…"

Out of everything Jade ever heard about the lead singer, meaning his pompous attitude and egotistical nature, she never expected to hear him act like this… Like a concerned parent. Everything she knew of regular lead singers and band leaders was that they tend to act like spoiled brats and not care about anyone but themselves. She certainly expected Ted Bedderhead to act like this, too.

She took a deep breath. "They will…" she said softly. "They will if you believe they will…"

"I hope so…" He looked out the windshield once again, no longer sure of what to say.

At that point, Jordan pulled off his headphones. "Are we there yet?"

Jade was grateful for the distraction. "Almost."

"I'm bored!"

"Listen to your music."

"I've listened to all of it! Beawy said he was gonna add new songs! He p'omised!" the cub complained, majorly upset.

"Listen to it again, Jordan. We're almost there."

"Ugh! Fiiiiiinnnnnnneeeeeee! Tell Beawy I mad at 'im," he complained, putting back on his headphones.

Jade sighed, feeling the tension in the air rising again.

Ted, too, sighed, and after a few minutes, he spoke again. He needed something to diffuse the situation. "What is your full name? I know your first name is Jade, but…"

"Falco."

"Jade… Falco… Huh… Well, I'm Ted—er, Theodore Simon Bedderhead… I'm also know as "Pain in the ass", "Mr. Grouchy", "Uncle Ted/Teddy"… Oh, and "Subborn Jackass"."

The she-bear grinned slightly. "Well, to get technical, it's Jade Star Falco."

"Star? Jade Star Falco. Interesting."

"I know, it's stupid."

"I like it. Much better than being named after a couple of chipmunks." He chuckled. "Now **_that's_** stupid."

Jade smiled but didn't say anything.

Ted liked her smile, and couldn't stop looking at it. It made him feel… good… It made him feel something he hadn't felt in a long time.

She looked at him for a moment, then back at the road as she pulled into the parking lot of a very, very big mall.

He blinked and looked at the mall with wide eyes. "Oh, geez…" In the back seat, Jordan let out an excited shout.

"We're going to make this quick," Jade warned.

"I hope so," Ted muttered. "I hope we don't run into any paparazzi. I can't stand them." He was grateful that he was wearing normal enough clothes, so he shouldn't be very recognizable. But, just to make sure, he pulled off his glasses and put them in the glove compartment. "Better not wear them."

"Good idea. Rather not be seen in public with somebody that looks like Elton John."

He blinked and looked at her. "What is that supposed to mean?"

"Simple. Those are ugly ass sunglasses."

"Hey!"

Jordan unbuckled and leaned forward, smacking Jade's ear. "Bad! No bad words!"

"Jordan, sit down!"

"Bad Aunty Jade," the cub muttered, sitting down again.

Ted chuckled.

"You ain't seen bad yet," she replied, looking at him via the rearview mirror.

"Meanie-head."

"You gonna take that, Jade?" Ted questioned, chuckling.

"Let's just get this over with." She was in no mood to argue.

"You have nothin' to worry about."

"Yes, I do. Somebody gave that child ice cream and soda. I have **_much_** to worry about," she complained, pulling into a parking space.

"He's not as bad as Beary… I hope…"

"Nobody is as bad as do you think I never gave him anymore energy drinks again after that incident I saved you guys from?"

"WHAT?! You gave him the energy drinks?!"

"Well, not really give. He more… took them."

Ted suddenly blinked, realizing something. "W-W-Whoa! WAIT! You were the one who untied us?!"

"Indeed I was, spider-bear."

"T-Then, you… uh… you heard… everything I said… a-about… uh…" He couldn't go on, too horrified.

"I was sitting across the table, ya know," she chuckled. Inside, she was smiling as she remembered the comment he had made about the savior who had rescued them.

Ted's blush could be seen clearly under his thinning facial fur. His eyes were huge and he was majorly embarrassed.

Jade smirked.

"Oh, Ursute… I can't believe you were her…" He pulled at his collar nervously. "I, uh…" He began to get out of the car—more like attempting to get out of the car—only to find that he was still buckled up. He was currently tangled up in the seat belt.

In the back, Jordan snickered.

Jade rolled her eyes, reached over and unhooked the seat belt for him. "It's okay."

Suddenly losing the only thing that was keeping him upright, Ted faceplanted into the pavement.

Jordan started laughing.

Jade's eyes widened. "Oh, crap. You okay?"

Almost comically, Ted reached an arm upwards and gave her a thumb's up before his arm fell back down by his side.

She frowned. "Ya sure?"

A groan was her only answer.

Jordan pressed his face against the window, looking at the great bear. "Hahaha! You wook dumb!"

"Ugh… shut up…"

"Well, whenever you're ready…" Jade muttered, getting out of the car. She let Jordan out as well.

Ted slowly got up and looked over at Jade with a bleeding nose. "Ow…"

"Uh… You're bleeding…"

"What else is new?" He put a paw over his nose. "Do you have anythin' I can use to stop the bleedin'?"

"Uh… not with me… Jordan, were there any tissues in the back seat?"

The five-year-old climbed back in and began looking. It wasn't long before he found a wad of tissues. "Hew!" he called.

Ted took them and held the entire wad against his nose. "Remind me to never do that again."

"Good idea," the she-bear commented.

It wasn't long before the bleeding stopped and he could remove the tissues from his face. "How do I look?"

"Uh… Look in a mirror."

"Mirrors do nothin' for my delicate figure," he joked, trying to make light of the somewhat bad atmosphere.

"Uh-huh. Sure. You're face looks a little bloody still here…" Without thinking about it, she approached him, took one of the clean tissues from his paw, wetted it with her saliva, and began wiping the blood off his brown snout.

Ted, blushing, looked into her beautiful green eyes as she did this. They were the perfect height for each other, able to equally see into each other's eyes without looking up or looking down.

Jade looked at the blood for a moment before her line of sight changed to his warm amber eyes that danced and sparkled. The moment she did, she knew there was a connection between them. Briefly she wondered if he felt it, too. Her paw holding the tissue hovered for a moment over his snout and she lost herself in his gaze. A part of her wondered what he was truly like deep down. How did he truly act?

Another part of her wanted to touch his lips with her own once again; to feel the gentle, loving touch of his paw on her cheek and the ticklish sensation of his breath on her ear. She knew. She just knew deep down, that something about him was special. She felt… complete. Jade didn't know how to explain it, nor did she really feel like doing so. How could she be falling for someone she barely knew so hard and so fast? It didn't make any sense.

Looking into his eyes, she knew he felt the same. She let her arm drop and she slowly leaned forward.

Ted, meanwhile, felt a calming effect from looking into her eyes. He couldn't explain it, but… he felt warm inside, as if the ice that had shielded his heart for so long was beginning to finally melt. Way deep down, he knew. He knew he had finally found her. He had finally found the girl of his dreams.

Their lips were just centimeters apart when—

"I'M HUNGRY!"

Both adults physically jumped and looked away from each other, both embarrassed, but they tried not to show it.

Ted spoke. "Uh… Yeah. Anyway…"

Jade looked down at the young cub. "You just ate a whole bunch of ice cream, Jordan. How can you be hungry?"

"So?" the cub patted his belly. "I g'owing boy! I needs foods!"

Ted snickered.

"You're belly is starting to look like you're daddies, kiddo," Jade replied playfully. "Anyways, let's get going."

Jordan looked at her, highly offended.

"Yeah, James' gotta lay off the donuts and coffee," Ted put in, grinning.

"You tell him that," Jade smiled.

Jordan glared at them both.

"Okay, okay. Come on. I'm sick of being in this damn suit," Jade complained.

"I'd like to see you in something different," Ted commented softly without thinking.

"Uh…"

His eyes widened, and he started walking rather quickly towards the mall.

Jordan looked back up at his "aunt". "Jewl 'ight. You two make wei'd couple." He shuddered and shouted, "Cootie shot!" before taking off after Ted.

Jade's smile turned into a sad frown at the name of her "neice". A single tear rolled down her cheek, but she did nothing to hide it. "Jewel… Beary… Wherever you are… Be safe," she whispered.


	13. Chapter Twelve

.~*Chapter Twelve*~.

Days turned into weeks, weeks turned into months. It wasn't long before two months had passed since she had seen and held her boyfriend, no **_mate_**, in her arms. It felt like an eternity.

September, October, and November had come and gone. Beary and Jewel had been together in September, but after that… he had been stolen from her.

The golden cub remained in the infirmary, waiting for her lover to return to her. She missed his gentle touch, his soft caress of his paw on her cheek, and the love in his hazel eyes. However, all her dreams weren't able to block out her memory of what she had been forced to do, which was to pose for pictures, naked.

Every day for the past sixty days, she was forced to do more and more erotic poses while Thrasher snapped the pictures… and then he would touch her repeatedly, all over. Lei and Derek couldn't help her; they had been forced to make videos—she still had trouble getting the sounds out of her head. The grizzly had made them all do such terrible things, but he never went as far to force Derek onto her or make him and her do a video together; for that, she was grateful.

Pictures weren't the only thing she was forced to do. She had also been instructed in the art of pole dancing while stripping. The skills had been beaten into her. The grizzly would watch and record each "dance"; he told her that she had hundreds of viewers that loved her work. It made her sick inside that she was learning all these dirty trades at such a young age.

The older bears would try and comfort the young she-cub at the end of the day, after Thrasher had left, but that didn't stop the tears that rolled down her cheeks every night as she cried herself to sleep. She just wanted to go home…

The only thing that got her through her nightmares was thinking of Beary. If she were to close her eyes at this very moment, she would be able to see her Beary in her dreams… her ultimate fantasy…

_They pranced through the tall grass. Beary was wearing a pair of black cargo shorts and a blackish-silver, leather, unzipped vest, revealing his bare, light brown chest that was almost gold in the sunlight. Jewel wore a billowing white dress and long white ribbons in her curled hair. The wind gently moved her white outfit like the waves of long grass caught in the breeze._

_In the middle of the meadow was a large oak tree with an old fashioned rope and wood swing. Jewel sat on the wooden bench, placing her paws on the rope, and giggled when she felt his paws on her back, gently pushing her._

_"I wanna go higher, Beary! Push me higher!" she smiled, her pure white teeth glinting in the sunlight._

_His laugh was warm, lighthearted, soft, and full of joy. "All right, Jewel. All right." He gave her a few more hard pushes before the scene shifted._

_The lovely meadow shifted to that of a white tent with a flower arch. A Mysta, a "priest" of sorts that studied bear culture, stood at the ready, book in his paws._

_Beary was wearing an ebony tuxedo jacket, black bow tie, black pants, but no shirt. Once more, his light brown chest was showing. He held her paws and looked into her eyes, smiling brightly._

_Jewel wore a long, strapless dress, laced intricately with pearls. A semi-large crystal bracelet donned on her right wrist. A lace shawl was draped across her back and both arms. A necklace made of diamonds was around her neck, and diamond earrings hung from her ears. A beautiful tiara made of clear crystals and a few diamonds and sapphires was set on top of her long curled hair._

_In the audience, her birth parents and adopted parents, really her aunt and uncle, were smiling brightly, and next to them was Henry, Allison, and Norbert. Sitting behind them was Ted, Fred, and Zeb, all dressed in their Sunday best. Everyone was happy, their eyes lit up with joy._

_"I do," she answered the Mysta._

_"I pronounce you man and wife. You may kiss the bride."_

_Beary wasted no time in kissing her, his soft lips touching hers. She returned the kiss, showing all her love for him in that simple gesture. Their noses touched as they both opened their eyes, looking into each other's. They silently communicated their love for each other before sharing another kiss._

_The scene shifted again, this time to a bedroom with a queen size bed. The walls were painted a light blue, and had a few sketches that Beary had drawn. A single window allowed the sunshine into the room. A TV was set upon a red oak dresser in front of the bed._

_The bed covers were on the floor next to a pile of clothes that had been hurriedly thrown aside. On the bed, however, Beary and Jewel were fiercely making love to each other. Beary's teeth were on Jewel's neck, and her teeth were embedded on his ear. She fiercely clawed at his back, leaving deep cuts in the skin, moaning as he continued to move against her. "More," she moaned. "More…"_

_Beary followed her wishes, doing everything she asked. He sucked on her neck and kissed her chest, neck, and lips. His claws dug into her hips as he continued with his thrusts._

_Jewel had never felt better when they both hit their climax…_

_Once more, the scene changed, but the room was the same, yet some things had changed. For one thing, there were now a couple of drawings made by young minds._

_Beary's arm was draped around Jewel's waist, his paw resting on her large belly underneath her large t-shirt. "Hey, baby," he whispered, leaning forwards and nibbling her neck playfully._

_"Mmm, Beary," Jewel giggled. "That feels so good." She kept her eyes closed, not wanting to be awake. The baby had kept her up half the night, tossing and turning inside her womb._

_He smiled and was about to become more intimate, he had started tugging on her shorts, when three voices cried out happily._

_"Mama! Daddy!" _

_Jewel smiled and sat up; she knew she had lost her battle. She turned her head and looked at the cubs. "Jacob, you and Eric are looking more like your daddy every day," she smiled, looking at the Beary look alikes. Jacob and Eric were four-year-old identical twins with hazel eyes. Both wore shorts: Jacob wore black while Eric wore red. Standing next to them, with her little nightdress, was their two-year-old sister, golden furred, forest green eyed Emily. _

_Emily gurgled happily and smiled at her mama. She reached her tiny paws up, waiting for someone to lift her._

_Beary lay down on his stomach next to Jewel, reached forward, and picked up his baby girl. "Hey, baby. How'd ya get out of your crib?" he questioned as he tickled the little two-year-old, who squealed with laughter. He held her in his arms, letting her legs dangle in the air._

_Jacob and Eric, meanwhile, climbed on the bed and cuddled with their mother. Eric placed an ear on his mother's stomach, listening to the baby._

_"She kickin!" he cried, grinning broadly._

_Jewel smiled and ruffled his hair with her paw. "Been kicking all night, sweetheart. She's a little devil, just like her daddy."_

_"Hey!" Beary complained, laughing._

_Jewel leaned over and gave him a quick kiss before looking at her cubs. "Okay, who's hungry?"_

_"ME! ME!" the four-year-olds shouted, jumping off the bed and running away towards the doorway._

_Beary, laughing, set his daughter on the ground and grinned as she started following her older brothers. He looked at his wife. "I'm hungry too," he said sheepishly._

_She gave him a playful cuff over the ear, smiling. "You're so pathetic. Come on, help me up."_

_He sat up and got off the bed, before moving over towards her, gripping her paws, and hauled her to her feet before enveloping her in a loving kiss. "Mmm, I love you, Jewel."_

_She returned the kiss. "Love you, too, Beary."_

_The bedroom scene melted away, leaving behind two rocking chairs side-by-side on an old porch. _

_Jewel's fur had turned silverish-gold, and her body was weakened. Next to her, Beary was rocking back and forth, holding her paw, and looking out in the front yard at their six children, ten grandcubs, and two great-grandcubs playing together. _

_Beary's fur had turned more pepper-colored, and his arm shook slightly. He turned his head and looked into her eyes. "I love you, Jewel," he whispered, leaning over and giving her a gentle kiss on her cheek._

_Jewel smiled and-_

A sudden shattering of glass interrupted her daydream. Jewel sat up straight and looked at the doorway in shock.

On the bed next to her, both Derek and Lei had done the same thing. Derek slowly got off the bed and looked at both of the females. "Shh," he whispered, gesturing for them to stay where they were. He slowly crept towards the other room, staying silent as he moved. Within moments, he had disappeared through the doorway.

Lei moved from her bed over towards Jewel's, ready to protect the cub in need be. "Just stay here, Jewel. If that bastard even tr-"

"LEI!" Derek shouted from the other room.

The silver she-bear glanced at Jewel for a moment before moving into the other room to help her mate. She let out a slue of swears upon entering the other room. "Quick! Pick him up and bring him inside!" she ordered.

Jewel's eyes widened and her heart filled with a faint hope. Slowly, she climbed off the bed and began walking towards the doorway, only to back away when Derek and Lei reentered the room, holding a body between them. Derek held the body by the ankles, while Lei had the head and arms.

She knew immediately who they were carrying.

"Quick! Get him onto the bed. Jewel, go grab my med bag!" Lei ordered, not giving the golden cub a chance to say anything.

The twelve-year-old nodded and went over to the other side of Derek and Lei's bed. She reached down and grabbed the brown medical bag; by the time she looked back up, Beary was on the bed, moaning in pain. Scars covered his body, tufts of fur were missing, and blood matted his fur. His fur, which had grown in length, was grimy and absolutely filthy; it really, really smelled. He was in dire need of a bath.

"Uh, Lei… I don't tink ya can even see his wounds… he's too dirty…" Derek commented.

Lei paused in what she was doing, which was taking the bag from Jewel, and looked at him. "You're right… I… I guess I just got a little carried away…" She sighed softly. "I'll go draw a bath for him…"

"No, Lei-Lei. I go make the bath fo 'im," Derek said. "Ya tak care of 'im." He didn't give her a chance to reply before leaving the room.

She nodded and began checking the young male over.

Jewel, meanwhile, went over to her mate and tightly held his paw with one of hers, while her other paw gently brushed his greasy hair out of his face. A single tear rolled down her cheek as she surveyed the damaged done to her best friend. "Oh, Beary," she whispered, removing her paw from his head and gently running it over his chest; one of her claws got caught on a knot. So many scents were mixed with his. "Why would they do this to you…?" Briefly, she wondered if he even remembered her; it had been so long… "Beary? C-Bear, open your eyes…"

A pained whimper was her only response.

Lei looked at the cub sadly. "Jewel… Right now, he's too weak at the moment, sweetie. After his bath, maybe, he'll be feeling well enough to answer."

The she-cub only gave her a small nod.

"Bath's 'eady," Derek said when he came back into the room a few minutes later. He helped Lei pick up the young male and, together, they carried the cub into the bathroom and carefully lowered him into the tub.

The bathroom wasn't fancy—it was just a normal bathroom at just ten by ten foot. The tub was more like an old fashioned, tin wash bin. The water was room temperature, yet Beary trembled upon entering it.

Almost immediately, the water turned dark as a layer of dirt was pulled off his fur.

Jewel, who was standing behind them, blinked several times at what happened. "Maybe he should take a shower, instead," she commented softly.

Derek and Lei glanced at each other. "She's right," Lei noted.

"I ain't gettin' in da s'owah wit 'im. No way," Derek growled.

"I'll do it," Jewel volunteered softly.

"Oh, grow up, Derek," Lei replied, not hearing Jewel.

"It's juzz w'ong, okay?" the panda complained.

"I'll do it!" Jewel nearly shouted.

Both adults blinked and looked at her, slightly surprised.

"He's **_my_** mate. It's my job to take care of him," she went on. "Though, I'm gonna need some help getting him in there…"

"Actually, that's not such a bad idea," Lei said, glancing at Derek, who nodded. She knew what he was thinking: it was time for their escape. She wasn't about to tell Jewel, but several, if not all, of the females that Beary had been forced upon were pregnant—Lei had been the one to check them out and confirm the pregnancies. She knew that Beary would finally be allowed to leave with them.

"All 'ight, let's get 'im into da s'owah."

_.~*~._

Jewel slowly ran her paws over his body, digging her claws into the fur, trying to undo the tangles and knots. She had brought a pair of scissors into the shower with her, and so far, she had to use them twice to cut out the most horrible knots that she couldn't untangle. The water fell like rain from the shower head, neither warm nor cold. It was just right as it soaked their fur.

She was on her knees, letting Beary lay back against her. His head was resting against her chest, and his paws were upside down on the tile floor. His legs were bent at the shower wall. He was wheezing, finding it rather difficult to breathe.

Once Jewel was sure all the tangles were gone from his body, she pulled him out of the water, reached over and grabbed the shampoo. She filled her paw with the soapy substance, and began mixing it with fur, forming a thick lather that she then spread around his body, enjoying the feel of his skin beneath her paws.

"J-Jewel…"

The she-cub's eyes widened slightly and she looked into his eyes. "B-Beary…" A single tear rolled down her cheek, mixing with water from her already soaked fur.

His head turned to the side, he was looking at the wall now, and moaned. "J-Jewel… wh-where…"

Jewel gently touched his face. "Shh, baby. I'm here…" She lowered her head and brushed her lips along his snout.

Beary pulled away from her, curling up in a ball. "No… Can't…"

She reached out, gently rested her paw on his hip, and scooted closer to him. "Can't what, C-Bear?"

"L-Love you," he whispered. "N-Not wo-worthy…" His body trembled and gazed at the tile floor, feeling tainted and unworthy of his mate or her love.

Jewel turned him towards her, cupped his face with her paws, and gently forced him to look at her. "Beary, it's okay," she said softly.

Beary's eyes glistened as tears sprang to his eyes. "Don't touch me!" he screamed. "I'm nothing now! I'm not your mate! I'm not worthy!"

The she-cub was frozen with shock at the words her Beary said. '_He didn't mean it… did he?_' she wondered. She moved slowly towards her broken lover, hesitant to scare him again. "Beary, you don't mean that," she said. "What's been done isn't your fault." She brushed his shoulder with her paw, when Beary slapped her paw away. She backed away, shocked and hurt.

"What did I just say, Jewel?! Leave me alone! I'm not your mate anymore! I'm a whore, a sinner! I'm nothing!"

Jewel felt tears spring to her eyes. "B-Beary… Please… We'll get through this together… I'm yours and you're mine, remember? I love you, no one else… I never will…"

He turned to her, hatred and anger in his eyes. "GET OUT!"

She wasted no time, getting up and began walking backwards quickly, forgetting about the wet floor. One moment she was backing away crying, and the next, she had crashed through the glass shower door and was lying on the floor, bleeding and not responding.

Beary immediately sat up, his eyes widening. His anger had changed to terror in an instant. "J-Jewel?" he whispered, scooting a bit closer to her and gently shaking her arm.

Jewel was on her side, her right arm bent and her left arm straight. Her legs were crooked, still inside the shower. The water continued to soak one half of her body, while blood pooled under the other half. Her mouth was partially open.

"Jewel? JEWEL!"

Beary looked up and saw a silver shape practically running towards them. He growled and backed into the shower wall. He knew he had done this to Jewel; he knew he didn't deserve to help her. He had killed her.

He remained in the shower, convinced that he would be no help to his… friend. The water continued to cascade down onto him, continuing to soak his fur. He stayed there for heaven knows how long, thinking. He didn't even notice when the water turned cold.

Jewel was gone, but her blood remained in a pool of crimson liquid surrounded by broken glass.

The twelve-year-old looked at the blood with no emotion whatsoever.

He was a whore. He didn't deserve Jewel. He didn't deserve to live.

Without giving it a second thought, he crawled towards the broken glass, picked up one of the larger pieces, and sliced it across his left wrist. It was deep enough to bleed a lot, but not deep enough to severe any tendons.

Beary sat back, watching the blood drain out of his wrist. He felt weird… yet, joyful… He took a deep breath, watching as his life slowly ebbed away in the form of crimson liquid.

All around him was darkness. His mind was wrapped in it. Nothing made sense.

How had it all come down to this? How had everything been ruined? Only a few months ago, everything had been fine and dandy. Just him and Jewel playing together, kissing… making out… All in secret, of course.

A movie screen appeared in front of him, in his mind's eye. He could see everything in his life. His birth parents… His adopted parents… His brother… meeting his best friend… Meeting his heroes… Learning that they weren't all he thought they would be… Then, finding out that he had changed them… Getting kidnapped… Waking up and finding Jewel sleeping next to him… building the tree house… Kissing her… The fun they had… falling asleep next to her… Feeling her lips on his… Making out… Her telling him that she loved him… Taking each other as bonded mates…

The movie stopped and he blinked. The image on the imaginary screen was stuck on Jewel's face. She was looking at him sadly, eyes glistening with tears.

"_I'm yours and you're mine… I love you, no one else… I never will…_"

The sentence kept repeating in his mind, and a small light appeared in his darkness. The light gradually grew as Jewel's face appeared.

Beary suddenly wondered how Jewel would react if he killed himself. She would cry… He hated it when she cried, yet he had made her cry several times recently. However, none of that compared to how much she would cry if he died.

He could picture her tears clear as day, and her begging for him to come back to her. He knew that if he died, she would have no protection from… from that monster.

Part of him thought about this, while the other part of him thought about what he had done…

He had been forced into bed every day with a new female, one per day. There were twenty total. He spent three days with each. The nights, however… He spent with the grizzly known as Thrasher.

Beary refused to remember the nights. The only thing that got him through both the day and night was the thought of Jewel, but slowly those thoughts were warped with worry for how Jewel would treat him.

His mind began to get sluggish and his vision wavered. The blood continued to seep out of the wound and was washed down the drain by the shower water.

"_Beary… Please… I love you…_"

Jewel's voice came out of nowhere, and he wasn't sure if he heard it in his head or not. However, it was enough to pull him out of his funk.

'_W-What have I done…?_' he wondered, his eyes widening. He attempted to get up, but found himself too weak. He knew he was going to die here alone.

Jewel was gonna cry, and it was all his fault.

'_Jewel… I… I'm so sorry…_'

His eyelids drooped before fully closing.

.~*The Country Bears*~.

Derek glared angrily across the room at the tall, lean, and mean grizzly. He couldn't believe what the monster had done to the cub. He and Lei wouldn't have even known about it, save for the fact that they had been forced to give Beary a thorough examination after he nearly bled to death in the shower. It had been a miracle that they had even gotten to him on time.

Almost immediately after treating him—and after they had found out that he had been raped—Derek had left the infirmary in search of his "master." He had, of course, found him in his "office"—which contained a small bed, a desk, and a chair—smoking a cigar and as cheerful as ever, which meant this was one of his more stable days, where he wasn't a raging maniac.

"How dare ya. He ain't yers, and ya touched 'im anyway, ya basta'd," he growled.

"Now, now, Derek." The voice was patronizing, like Derek was a child throwing a fit about a bad call in a game of kickball. "Ya know it comes with the territory," Thrasher chuckled darkly. "Yer lucky I didn't go after yer gurl. After all, she injured my slave. I consider this payment."

"WHAT?! He's jus' a cub! He ain't-" Derek was cut off abruptly.

The grizzly's eyes darkened and he slammed his fist on the desk between them. "Don't ya dare tell me what I can and can't do! He belongs to me, as do ya, yer mate, and his mate. Ya all belong to me! I can do what I want to whomever I choose!" He stood up and backhanded the panda. "Ya forget yer place," he snarled.

Derek continued to glare at him, furious. "I know mah place. It'z between ya and da boy." He clenched his fists tightly, the anger spreading through his body like wildfire.

"Brave words for a **_slave_**."

The panda's lips curled, hating the term, and he had to fight to control his temper. Through clenched teeth, he continued speaking. "Are ya finished wit 'im, zen?"

"If ya don't keep yer anger in check, I won't be. I could go a couple more rounds with him. In fact, I may just have him stay here with me while ya take the gurl and yer bitch of a mate wit ya when ya leave for yer damn cabin." Thrasher knew that he could track them easily any time he wanted to, and that was the only reason why he was going to let them go. He also knew exactly where the cabin was and planned on visiting his new male slave every once in a while.

"Use me, not the cub. 'eave 'im out of it f'om now on. I'll take his place."

Thrasher rubbed his chin thoughtfully. He preferred the younger members of society, but if he had to, he wouldn't object to the offer. "Maybe…" He suddenly grinned. "Git on the bed. Time for the first session." He might as well see if the panda was worth trading the cub for. Even if he wasn't, that didn't mean he wouldn't have "fun" with him when he visited the cabin.

Derek gulped, wondering just what he had gotten himself into. It was for Beary, though, so he had to go through with it. He couldn't leave the cub to this grizzly's torture. This wasn't about to happen because of punishment, but because he wanted to do this. The idea was absurd. It just sounded so odd. Slowly, he nodded. Dragging his feet, he began walking towards the bed, stripping on the way.

The clothes lay in a path, showing the way he'd taken to get to the small bed. He knew he had to do this. _Had to_. It would give Lei a chance to finish taking care of Beary and then get out. Not only that, but he had to protect them. Forcing himself to think only of protecting them, Derek lay down, spread-eagled on the small bed. He closed his eyes, jaw clenched tight against the pain that was going to come soon.

He felt the bed shift slightly as new weight joined him on the mattress. Thrasher. He could feel the grizzly's paws examining his body, touching, feeling, prodding, poking, before the larger male placed his legs on either side of the panda's hips and pressed his member against Derek's inner thighs, slowly getting closer and closer to its destination. Derek couldn't hold back the tears that silently streamed down his cheek as Thrasher gave a vicious thrust and entered him.

He knew that this was for the best; better him than Beary. He had to protect the cub and his mate.

.~*The Country Bears*~.

Lei sighed sadly as she waited for her lover to return. She changed Beary's bandage on his wrist and then checked the blood flow. She had been forced to give Beary a transfusion, due to the fact that he had lost so much blood because of some stupid idea. Like Derek, she was worried about the cub's mental state. On top of everything that he had been forced to do, being forced to sleep with Thrasher would have damaged him the most. That was something that no child should have to ever go through. Thrasher was brutal in bed, judging by the conditions Derek had come back to her in after his "sessions" with the grizzly.

She had no idea how the cub was going to act now.

After making sure that the blood flow was still steady, she glanced at the bed on the right, where the unconscious Jewel was lying. Jewel had suffered a mild concussion, several lacerations on her back and side, both deep and shallow. It was a miracle that none of the glass shards had "shanked" the young she-cub or caused further damage.

The she-cub was sleeping soundly now, though, because of her head injury. Lei kept a close eye on her, just to make sure that she was, in fact, all right.

The silver she-bear felt another headache coming on and she moaned softly, placing a paw on her head. "Damn headaches," she muttered. The headaches usually started when she was under too much stress, like now. '_Where's Derek? Why isn't he back yet? He better not have done anything stupid_,' she thought to herself. She glanced at the doorway again, waiting for her knight in shining armor to appear and sweep her off her feet, then take her to his bed, making sweet, passionate love to her as he lathered her with kisses—"Whoa. Down girl," she grinned, speaking to herself aloud. "Save it for the bedroom."

"Turn off the light…" Jewel moaned softly. "Hurts…"

Lei turned her head and blinked. "You're supposed to be sleeping, young one." She did, however, go over to the light switch and dimmed the bright lights. "You want your head to hurt anymore?" She returned to her post between the two beds, not letting Jewel see the person on the other bed.

The she-cub kept her eyes closed and sighed. "Why… Why doesn't he love me anymore? What have I done wrong?" she asked softly after a few minutes.

The sixty-one-year old looked at the young cub and sighed. She had no idea how to comfort the heartbroken she-cub, having never been in the situation before. After all, Derek and she hadn't even loved each other when they took each other as mates, so she had no clue what Jewel was going through at the moment. However, she wasn't just going to stand there and watch her suffer like that.

"Jewel… I know exactly how you feel," she lied. "I was too young to understand, just like you. I couldn't understand what my mate had gone through or why he wanted to be alone. I thought that he was just being rude." She chose her words carefully, knowing that some of what she said was true, while some of it was not; she didn't want Jewel to know, however. "He told me that he wasn't worthy of being my mate, saying that it was because he was a whore and that's why I couldn't be with him. He didn't want me to get hurt."

Jewel, by this time, was half-sitting, half-laying on her bed, propped up by a couple of pillows. She listened to Lei's every word attentively, hoping that she would get some advice on how she could help Beary. Her eyes remained closed the entire time.

"He became distant with me, barely looking at me and rarely acknowledging me. Every day I longed for him… He was the only source of comfort I had… I felt so alone when he ignored me…" She sighed softly, remembering the pain of being alone. "Anyway, he eventually got over it and let me back in." She wasn't about to tell Jewel that the night Derek had finally acknowledged her again was the night that she had been beaten by Jackson—Thrasher's father and Derek and Lei's owner—for misbehaving; she had been crying so hard…

She hadn't realized how much time had passed before she felt a pair of warm arms wrap around her waist as she was pulled against her mate's body; he had held her as she cried and for the rest of the night, soothing her and trying to calm her down. Lei shook her head and sighed again, forcing herself out of the memory. She looked at Jewel again. "Just give him time… If he really loves you, he'll come back to you that much sooner, and if you really love him, then give him the chance."

Jewel opened her eyes and looked at the older she-bear. "You mean it?"

"I know he doesn't hate you. He'll come back, I promise."

Still unsure, Jewel sighed softly and decided to change the subject. "When are we getting out of here…?"

Lei glanced at the door, hoping to see her mate walking through it, but nothing happened.

She didn't know how to answer Jewel.

.~*The Country Bears*~.

Derek slowly ventured down the hallway, heading for the infirmary. He was sorer than he had ever been before. Thrasher had kept him all night, trying to see if the panda was worth trading the cub for, and Derek couldn't help but hope that he was worth it. He couldn't believe Beary had gone through those… _sessions_ for the past sixty days. No wonder the cub had tried to kill himself.

Derek's sessions with the grizzly had been few and far in between, having not made the grizzly very angry often. The pain of those sessions always wore off in the next few days or so… but for Beary… Forced to sleep with the grizzly every night… It was surreal. The last time Thrasher had gone after a cub, besides his own slave, was when he had repeatedly raped Derek's son, Jason, for almost thirteen years. The damage done to the cub's mind… It wasn't pretty.

The panda sighed and leaned against the wall, trying to gather his strength. Thrasher had told him to get the hell out along with his mate and the two cubs, something he found surprising. It confused him, for he thought that Thrasher was going to choose between him and the boy… Or maybe he already had. Thrasher had left the "office" before he had…

Heart filled with panic, Derek began walking again this time his pace much faster. He knew that Thrasher had been lying when he said that Derek could take the two cubs. He would probably only be allowed to take the one, Jewel. Throwing open the door, Derek passed through the outer room of the infirmary and entered the patient area with the beds. "Lei?" he called.

"Shh!" Lei complained, walking towards him. "You'll wake them!"

Derek didn't wait for her to reach him before he pulled her into a tight hug. "Ya okay, baby?" he questioned, giving her a quick kiss.

"Why wouldn't I be?" The silver she-bear sniffed the air, recognizing Thrasher's scent mingling with her mate's. Her lip curled slightly, her eyes glinting with anger. "He did it again, didn't he." It was more of a statement than a question.

The panda frowned. "I offahed," he replied softly, looking away.

The answer startled her. "Y-You… **_offered_**…?" she whispered, backing out of his arms. "Why?"

Not answering her at first, he pulled her into the other room, keeping his voice low. "He wan'ed ta keep da boy," he said softly. "He wan'ed 'im as 'is new bi'ch." The growl in his throat was filled with anger and hatred. "I offahed myself in da boy's place. I… I cou'dn't let 'im 'ave da boy…" He looked away from her, afraid to see the disgust in her eyes.

Lei placed a paw on her mate's cheek and looked at him with love and understanding. "You're a big softie, you know that?" she asked, giving him a gentle kiss. She then looked at him worriedly. "D-Does this mean… you aren't coming with us…?"

"I don't know… He didn't make a choice…" He sighed softly and looked towards the doorway. "We need ta get out of 'ere… Now." He clutched her paws tightly, holding them against his chest.

She nodded and rubbed noses with him. "Derry…" She gave him a quick kiss. "It would be better to not wake them… I'll sedate them, just to make sure they stay that way." She broke away from him, going to get the sedatives. A million thoughts raced through her head. If Thrasher **_did_** choose to take Derek as his new toy, then she would never see him again and he would be tortured for as long as the grizzly found him useful. Then, he would be killed and his pelt sold; he was too old to be sold as a slave.

On the other hand, if Thrasher chose Beary as his new toy… Jewel would be devastated… Beary would never be the same… Since he was young, Thrasher would get many years out of him.

Derek or Beary. The choice was insane and she didn't want to lose either of them.

Sensing that his mate needed a hug, Derek moved towards her, wincing at the pain in his muscles from Thrasher's rigorous movements, and gathered her in his arms, hugging her from behind. He rested his chin on her shoulder and pressed his head against hers. "Hey… It's gonna be okay…" he whispered.

She sank into his hug, letting the tears fall from her cheeks. "Wha-What's the point in running… He's going to find us, anyway…"

"Don't t'ink 'ike zat," Derek replied softly. "We'll git 'way… I'll keep ya and da cubs 'afe… I won' let 'im git da boy…"

"I don't want to lose you, though…"

"Ya won'. I p'omise."

For some reason, Lei didn't find comfort in his promise; she knew that there were some things that Derek promised… that never came true.

.~*The Country Bears*~.

"Hey, wake up, you two. C'mon, up and at 'em!"

Beary and Jewel both moaned softly and blinked sleepily. Both cubs were riding piggy back style, their arms hanging over Lei and Derek's shoulders. Derek was carrying Beary while Lei carried Jewel.

Jewel looked around, super confused. All around her were trees, fresh air, and sunlight. '_Wait…_' Her eyes widened and she did a double take. "I-I'm… outside…" she whispered, shocked.

Lei chuckled softly. "Yes, yes you are," she said, smiling. "We're taking you to our cabin."

At that very instant, they cleared the trees and entered a small meadow. Situated on the other side of the meadow was a little log cabin. The cabin must have been there for quite a while, due to the logs having faded to gray. On the left side of the cabin was a gray brick chimney and the roof was made of tin. Small pillars held up the porch roof and two steps led up to the porch, which was quite small. The door was a faded green and there were two windows.

"It has a loft for you two," Lei commented. "There's also a hot tub in the shed out back."

"Don' 'eave da meadow. Bad idea. We can't p'otect ya if ya 'eave," Derek went on.

"That, and there's no civilization for miles. It's very easy to get lost in these woods. Do **_not_** go wandering off. There are mountain lions, cliffs, rivers… We don't want either of you getting hurt."

"We'll git ya inside an' ya can s'eep fo a bit."

Beary sighed and didn't say anything. Sure, he was grateful to be outside again, but… that didn't change things… He glanced over at Jewel, who had turned her head and glanced at him. He looked away, ashamed of what he had done to her. He had hurt her both physically and mentally. He didn't deserve her, but he had to stay around to keep her safe… The world was cruel. He couldn't stand to see her mad her at him, which he knew she was. He knew she didn't truly love him. After all, who could love a whore? And now, they were going to have to share the loft… "D-Do you have a couch or something I can sleep on instead?"

Derek blinked. "Yeah, but it's fo sittin'…"

Lei glanced at her mate and shook her head.

"But… I guess ya could use it fo now…" the panda finished.

Beary nodded. He wouldn't be able to hurt Jewel if he was away from her, he was sure of it. He had to keep her safe and not make her cry.

The golden she-cub frowned when Beary looked away from her and when he said he wanted to sleep on the couch instead of with her in the loft. She didn't understand. Why wouldn't he give her a chance? What did she do wrong? All she wanted to do was love him… why wouldn't he let her? Then she remembered what Lei had told her earlier. She had to give Beary time to come back to her.

She couldn't help but wonder that if she gave him too much time, she would lose him forever.


	14. Chapter Thirteen

.~*Chapter Thirteen*~.

"Why are ya stayin' behind the scenes, Mr. Thimple?" Thrasher asked, looking at the human that sat in front of him. He was in his office, rather bored. All he wanted was to get out of here and pay his new pet a visit, and this moron had to show up out of the blue. It wasn't fair.

"I was hoping that you would be smart enough to do what I asked. Obviously, I was wrong."

"I've done everything ya asked, even slept with the boy."

"You didn't sleep with that bitch, Jewel, you idiot. I told you to do that! Rob her of her innocence! Don't let her be with that fugger Beary!" Josh Thimple shouted, clenching his fists tightly. He had grown up some since the last time Thrasher had seen him. For one thing, he didn't look like a thirteen-year-old anymore and he now had a goatee. His spiky blonde-tipped brown hair was still the same, however, as were his green eyes. "You let him have her! You let them be together!"

"I'm not into chicks. Too bitchy."

"You couldn't get into one even if she begged you to."

The grizzly growled, furious about the blow to his pride. Though he liked males more than females, that didn't mean he hadn't slept with a female before. The experience had been less than enjoyable.

"I paid you well enough. Just one little task. Ruin their lives, I said. Force them into submitting, I said. Break their spirits, I said. Take away his best friend, I said."

"Hey! I got three of those things done!"

"Then why the hell didn't you fug her?!"

"Because unlike ya humans, I respect the bond. Sorta. I believe that women should only have one bonded mate but the male can sleep with many."

"But she's not his "bonded mate" now, is she? She never was! She's just one of his mates!"

Thrasher blinked. He hadn't thought of that. The human was right. However… "I made her into a breeder! Her mate is a breeder and has slept with twenty. Only way I got him to cooperate was to let him have her first. Don't worry. I got money out of her, too. She makes a good stripper."

Josh took several deep breaths, trying to stay calm. "Why, pray tell, did you let them go? Why did you let them go to that cabin? WHY DID YOU LET THEM OUT OF YOUR SIGHT?!"

Thrasher's ears were ringing from the loud shouting and he didn't answer at first. "Oh, don't worry. They have nowhere else to go. They can't get away. I have posted a couple of guards out there to be sure of that. I'll be visiting them regularly."

"That is no excuse for your stupidity!"

"Don't ya **_dare_** tell me how to do my job! I've been doing this for far longer than ya've been alive!"

"You and your lame excuses. Just because you can't get a girl into bed with you doesn't mean that you can lie about it, especially to me."

"Why ya lil-"

Josh's eyes darkened and he began to stand, placing his hands on the desk and leaning forward. "Next time you go out there, you show those dumbass females who is boss. Or **_I_** will. And just to make sure, I'm going with you." With that, he made his leave, not noticing when the grizzly flipped him off.

Thrasher clenched and unclenched his fists, breathing deeply. He had never been one to take something like this sitting down, but right now… He snarled, stood up, picked up his chair and chucked it at the wall, yelling loudly. He then proceeded to loudly trash his "office", taking out his anger on inanimate objects. "Where is that bastard," he growled, looking around before going over to the small bed in the corner and sliding it out of the corner, revealing a door in the floor. He pulled open the door and looked at his slave. "Mark, git out of there," he snarled, pulling the black furred teenage cub out of the small hideaway.

Mark looked happy to see him. He missed his master's touch and the feeling he got when they were in bed together. He had been in that hideaway for the past two months with some food and water, and had been able to hear everything that had gone on in the office. It had been his punishment for nearly raping that she-cub when he should have gone after the male. He should have known better. Master only slept with males.

He knew that his master had slept with his nemesis—that dumbass cub, Beary—every night, and that he had recently gotten in bed with that idiotic panda. While jealous that he was being replaced, Mark also knew that he was outdated. That's why he had a plan to prove that he was better. Someday, somehow, he'd kill that brown bear cub.

He didn't waste any time. He knew exactly what his master wanted with him.

He was going to give his master the best time in bed. He had to prove he was the best.

.~*The Country Bears*~.

Roxi sat on the toilet, with the lid down and she was fully clothed, looking at the object in her hand. She couldn't believe this. It didn't seem possible. How could it be **_blue_**?! How could all five be blue? She had so many plans, plans that might not happen now. There was no way she could get rid of it; who would be cruel enough to end a life before it fully began? There was also adoption, but would she be able to give up her own flesh and blood?

There was a soft knock at the door. "Rox? You okay?" Dex asked, his tone worried.

"I'm fine," she lied. "Be out in a couple." How was she going to tell him that he was going to be a father? How would he react? What if he hated her? What if he told her to get rid of it? What if… What if he left her…?

'_It would be better to just hide it… for now. Though… he's bound to notice that I've gained weight already…_' she thought. '_Maybe I can hide it under a hoodie… Yeah. That'll work. I'll tell him eventually. I just hope he doesn't notice on our date…_'

Still upset, she wiped away any last tears she had and washed her face in the sink. She threw the pregnancy test away in the garbage and covered it with some toilet paper. It would be a bad idea to let her boyfriend find out before she was ready to tell him. After drying off her face, she carefully put on some makeup, hating the feeling—she loathed makeup with a passion, but the FBI agent said they had to blend in—and looked at herself in the mirror.

Dressed in a black dress with one thick strap over her right shoulder—the other strap was thin—she showed off her curves, minus the baby bump, which wasn't visible yet, thankfully. Silver flowers were patterned across the fabric, covered in sequins. A single slit was on the left side of the dress, which was knee-length. Her brown hair was curled slightly and in a messy style. Black and silver were the color of her eye shadow and her lips were now a luscious red. On her feet was a silver stiletto with a thin, but not too thin, heel. Around the ankles were four thin straps and over the toes were three even thinner straps. The sole was thin, perhaps only half an inch thick.

She took a deep breath and unlocked the bathroom door, stepping into the bedroom. "Well? How do I look?"

Dex, who was wearing ratty, dark jeans and a white South Pole t-shirt, which had a couple small—but noticeable—holes in the back, turned and his jaw dropped. His blue eyes widened to infinite proportions as he looked her up and down. "W-Wow, Rox… Damn… You look **_incredible_**!"

Roxi didn't answer as she looked him over, her eyes filling with tears. He didn't care about their special date. This was their one year anniversary… They had been dating for exactly one year today, and he didn't remember… He had holes in his jeans, for Pete's sake! She sat on their bed and put her head in her hands. '_Damn hormones… Making me cry like this…_' she thought angrily to herself as she tried to stop the tears from falling.

The eighteen-year-old male blinked several times, wondering what he had done wrong. He thought back on what he had said, but nothing seemed wrong with it. He had told her she was incredible… He didn't lie, so what was she upset? What had he done wrong? "Rox? Are you okay?" he asked, even though he knew she wasn't.

"Y-You just don't understand!" she shouted, kicking off her heels, getting up, and running towards the bathroom. Slamming the door, she quickly locked it, sat down and leaned against it, crying. She didn't care that her dress was getting wrinkled; at this point, nothing mattered to her. How could he have forgotten?

Outside the bathroom, Dex sat on the bed, still wondering what he had done wrong. They were just going to the movies… Weren't they? He pulled out his new cell phone and looked at the calendar application on it. '_Today is… November 27th…_' he thought to himself as he looked up the events for the day. Empty. Yet, something nagged at the back of his mind, something he knew he shouldn't forget. Of course, he couldn't remember what it was.

'_Let's see… Roxi's all dressed up… This can't be a normal date… A normal date, she would be wearing jeans…_' he thought. '_So…_' He suddenly blinked. November 27th. Of course! It was—

"Oh, shit!" he exclaimed. He got up and went over to the closet, looking for his "nice" clothes. After finding them, he got changed into the non-ratty jeans and a dress shirt. After that, he quickly gave himself a quick spray of _Old Spice_, knowing Roxi loved the scent.

He then went over to his side of their bed and opened up the drawer in the nightstand. After digging for a couple minutes, he found the little safe he had stored there. Unlocking it, he pulled out the small velvet box. He had been saving it for their anniversary, and now he couldn't help but wonder if she would even accept it after his **_major_** screw-up.

He placed the small velvet box in his pocket before shutting the safe, putting it back in the drawer, and went over to the bathroom door. He was about to knock, then he heard her muffled sobs on the other side of the door. He felt worse than before. He softly knocked on the door. "Roxi? Roxanne, open the door, babe…"

"G-Go away!"

"Roxi… I'm sorry! I didn't realize!"

"Of course you didn't. You're too wrapped up in your own little world! You don't care about anyone but yourself, Dexter!" Roxi cried.

"I wrote it down on my phone! I made a special notice about it!" He sighed. "Then again, that phone got roasted in the fire…"

Silence.

"Roxanne, please… come out here…"

Silence.

Dex sighed and backed away from the door. Looked like he was gonna have to do things the hard way.

_.~*~._

Roxi continued to cry her eyes out. Dex hadn't said anything for the past couple minutes, and she could have sworn she had heard their apartment door open and shut—it was a rather evil door that squeaked loudly when opened and closed; the landlord **_still_** hadn't fixed it. Had he given up and left? Had she chased him off? W-What if… What if the people who were supposedly after them had killed him?

All these thoughts ran through her mind and terrified her. She knew if it happened it would be her fault.

A soft knock on the bathroom window startled her, pulling her out of her thoughts. She blinked several times before wiping her tears on the back of her hand and carefully got up. She straightened her dress a bit and went over to the window. Halfway there, she paused. This was a bad idea. What if it was one of the psychos that wanted her and Dex dead?

Whoever was at the window knocked again.

Roxi reached for the plunger next to the toilet and held it in a defensive position. It wasn't a club or a sword or anything like that, but… it was all she had. Once it was comfortably in her grip, she slowly approached the window.

The window opened and a figure began to climb in. He wasn't recognizable due to the curtains covering the window, and that had her on edge as she raised her arms and began to bring the plunger down.

Dex looked up just in time and quickly jumped out of the way. "WHOA! ROXI! IT'S ME!"

Her eyes widened and she stopped, about to hit him again. "D-Dex?"

"Who else?" He placed a hand on his chest, trying to catch his breath. "Dang, women. You know how to scare someone."

Roxi blinked several times before lowering the plunger to the ground and letting go of it. "Sorry…"

After catching his breath, he looked at her, then at the plunger, and then back at his girlfriend. "You w-were going to defend yourself… with a **_plunger_**…?" he questioned, quite confused.

"Um… yes?"

Dex smiled. "That's my girl. Totally badass."

She raised an eyebrow.

"What? It's true! Only you would find a weapon in the bathroom."

Silence.

He sighed. "Roxi…"

"You got changed. Why?"

Dex blinked, not exactly sure how to take this. After a moment, he cleared his throat. "I really am sorry…"

"You forgot."

"I know that… I didn't mean to, I swear! Baby, you know I wouldn't have forgotten if it couldn't have been helped…" He sighed. "I had such big plans for our anniversary… I guess I got the dates mixed up… I thought it was tomorrow…"

"Big plans? Like what?"

He blinked, unsure of how he wanted to answer her. This wasn't exactly the place he wanted to propose. Then again, he doubted he would get her to come with him unless he asked, since she was so mad at him. '_At least it's private. Besides, now I can use her real name,_' he thought to himself as he got down on one knee and pulled the velvet box.

"Roxanne Starr Matthews…" He licked his lip and gulped. What if she denied him? "I… I, uh, have this ring… And I love you… I want to be with you forever…" He gulped again. "I want to grow old together… I want to start a family with you… I... I know that we're young and... and that w-we've on-only be-been dating for a y-year, but..." He took a deep breath. "W-What I'm t-trying to say is… W-Will you ma-marry me?"

Roxanne didn't answer, her eyes wide. She stared at the ring, which had a small diamond—not that she minded—and then at Dex. Was this for real? Was this a dream? If it was, she never wanted to wake up. How was she going to answer him? She didn't know.

Dex looked at her, terrified. Was her silence a warning or an answer? Had she denied him? "R-Roxi?"

Her eyes filled with tears as she fell on her knees, not feeling the pain from this action, and wrapped her arms around him. "Y-Yes!" she cried, hugging him tightly. She latched her lips on his, wanting him to know just how much she loved him. "Oh, Dexter… I love you so much…"

He returned the kiss with as much love and passion as she gave him. He stood, helping her up, and they continued kissing as he slipped the diamond ring over her left ring finger. He dropped the velvet box on the floor and picked her up, carrying her out of the bathroom—after unlocking the door, of course—heading towards the bed.

He let her stand, his arms wrapped around her and his fingers fumbled for the zipper on the dress. He could feel her fingers unbuttoning his shirt and pushing it off—which meant he had to abandon her zipper for the moment—before moving to his jeans. He kissed her hungrily and began to remove her dress from her body. "Yeah, baby… Can't wait fo-"

Before things got even more serious, Roxi held up a hand and pulled away, her dress not fully off just yet. "D-Dex…? Um… There's something I have to tell you…" She figured that now would be the best time to reveal her secret. After all, since he asked her to marry him, he would be able to help her raise their child.

He looked at her, concerned. Didn't she want to make love? Her kisses said she did, so why was she stopping? Did his breath stink? He did a quick breath check, and then decided that that wasn't it.

"I-I'm… I'm p-pregnant…"

The words were so sudden and unexpected that Dex couldn't answer. He backed away slightly, trying to comprehend what Roxi had just told him. "W-We did… what? When…?" His words made no sense and neither did the situation. How could she be pregnant? It didn't seem possible. "We made a what?!" he questioned, his voice high pitched. "T-That's not possible!"

She looked at him, terrified. She knew he was going to make her abort the pregnancy. He was so mad, she could tell. "I-I'm s-sorry!"

He didn't want her to start crying again, especially when it was his fault. Without waiting another moment, he gathered her in his arms and held her against him, gently rocking side to side. "Shh… It's okay… It's going to be okay…" he whispered, kissing her hair. "We… We made a baby… I-I-I'm… I'm going to be a father…"

The word seemed foreign to him. Was he truly going to be a father? Sure, he wanted to be one someday, but this soon? Was he really ready for this? He had to be for Roxi. He couldn't just run off on her, especially when he was the father of her child. A single tear donned his cheek as he thought about what was going on. "O-Our baby…"

Roxi continued to softly cry in his arms. The next few months were going to be hard on both of them, now that they had an extra person to worry about. Would they be able to keep the baby safe? How were they going to let their parents know?

None of that mattered now, however. At that moment, all they needed was each other.

.~*The Country Bears*~.

Trixie lay back on hers and her husband's bed. It had been two months since she and Tennessee had gotten married and since their only cub was kidnapped. Everyone had headed back home to Tennessee, not having the funds to stay at the hotel anymore. Everyone had given up hope of ever seeing Beary and Jewel again, especially after one of the last transmissions.

Beary was dead. He had a seizure and just stopped breathing. It had been sent to them on video… they watched as he died.

Jewel was all alone… She had been sold, since she was of no further use…

Trixie was never going to see her baby girl again. No tears fell from her eyes, though; she had used them all. She felt nothing. She was empty inside. Completely empty.

Tennessee watched his wife from the doorway with a heavy heart. He hated seeing her like this, like he had for the past few weeks, ever since they had come back from Utah; she had been holding in her emotions, but instead of becoming angry, she became quiet and distant with the world. Trixie had stayed in their room, not leaving the bed. Well, that wasn't entirely true. She left for the bathroom. Last time she had taken a bath… she had tried to drown herself. Tennessee no longer trusted her to take care of herself and he began to give her baths, watching her every move just to make sure she didn't try to hurt herself.

Even though he was a counselor, he had **_never_** seen this kind of depression; then again, he was a marriage counselor, so… He shook his head, knowing he shouldn't be thinking about that. He had to figure out a way to make Trixie somewhat responsive. All she did was sleep all day and usually woke up screaming from nightmares; but the good dreams… those were the worst. She would wake up crying after realizing that the dreams weren't real. And she drank. A **_lot_**.

He was about to reveal himself, only to stop and watch his wife with wide eyes.

Trixie sat up, unknowingly facing her husband, and pulled open the nightstand drawer. She rummaged around for a moment before finding what she was searching for. A razor. She held out one arm, her left one, parted her fur slightly on her wrist and brought the blade down against her skin, slicing it open. She sighed softly, loving the feeling. She felt alive again as the blood flowed out of her wrist. She knew she would have to clean up the blood stain soon, before Tennessee got back, but for now, she was content.

"T-Trixie?! What the hell are you doin'?!" Tennessee shouted, rushing toward her side. He grabbed her paw, which was holding the razor—he accidently cut himself in the process—and pulled the razor blade out of her paw, throwing it across the room. He then grabbed one of the blankets and pressed against her bleeding wrist. "Why the hell did you do this?!"

"It feels good…" Trixie mumbled, weakly trying to pull away from him. "Lemme go…"

"No way in hell," he growled, holding her close to him. "How could you be so stupid?" he asked, not really expecting an answer as he helped her up and led her out of the room and down the hall to the bathroom. He told her to hold onto the bandage while he flipped on the light switch and grabbed the first aid kit.

Trixie sat on the toilet, contemplating whether she should let go of the makeshift bandage and bleed to death. She hadn't expected her husband to find out about her outlet and she cursed herself for not being more careful. However, part of her knew that her husband was just looking out for her; the other half of her, though, didn't care. She was angry, but she didn't know how to show it.

Tennessee knelt in front of his wife, after getting the first aid kit and wetted a washcloth in the sink, and carefully lifted the makeshift bandage away from the cut. Surprisingly enough, it wasn't as deep as he thought it was. It had almost completely stopped bleeding. As gently as he could, he began cleaning the wound, trying to not injure her further or to criticize her for what had happened. He knew this was his fault. He should have sat her down and talked to her about her feelings. He should have tried sooner instead of ignoring her depression for so long. He would never be able to forgive himself for what he had allowed to happen.

After cleaning the wound as best as he could, he put some ointment on it and was about to wrap a fresh bandage around it when he noticed another pink scar on his wife's arm. Eyes widening, he parted her fur slightly and found four more similar scars on her arm. He grabbed her other arm and examined it, finding six more scars. Figuring that since they were scars and not scabs, they had been there for a while… but how had he not seen them before? Then, as he thought about it, he realized that over the past couple of weeks he had noticed that their bedroom smelled like bleach…

'_No… T-That's impossible… She… She couldn't have been cutting for that long…_' he thought to himself in horror. He looked at her, only to have her avoid his gaze.

He had let down his wife by not helping her with her problem sooner, but as of that moment, he was going to change all that. He wasn't going to leave her side ever again. He had to make sure she knew that he loved her.

After he finished bandaging her wrist, he gently gripped her snout, forcing her to look at him. "Trix? Baby, I'm sorry… I… I wasn't there when I should have been…" He fought back the tears that threatened to fall down his cheeks due to his crybaby nature. He gently stroked her cheek and looked into her eyes, trying to get a response out of her. However, all he got out of her was a blank stare. It was like she didn't even realize he was there.

Tennessee sighed softly and picked her up, cradling her against his chest like he would a young cub. He was surprised by how little she weighed; that's when he knew she had been starving herself as well. "Oh, Trix…" he whispered as he carried her out of the bathroom, leaving the room a bloody mess, and into their bedroom. He gently laid her on his side of the bed before leaving the room. He needed to get some bleach and a brush to clean up the bloodstain on the carpet and bed.

Once he had acquired the items, he returned to the bedroom and looked at her. "I'm back, Trix," he said softly as he went over to the other side of the bed and knelt on the floor. "I'm just going to clean this up and then I'll make you some soup, okay?" He knew he wouldn't get any response from her, but that didn't stop him from talking to her as he cleaned up the bloodstain as best he could.

Trixie stayed silent, staring at the ceiling. She fought to control the anger boiling inside of her, but knew she was failing. Listening to her husband just made her more furious with herself. How could she have been so stupid?! Wait. None of this was her fault. It was **_their_** fault. It was **_their_** entire fault! Why was she blaming herself when she wasn't at fault?! It was **_their_** fault Jewel was gone. It was **_their_** fault that her baby was gone! "I hate you," she growled, sitting up. She looked at him hatefully. "I hate you and I hate Beary. You both caused this!"

Tennessee sat on his ankles and looked at her, confused and surprised. "Trix?"

"Don't you "Trix" me, you bastard! It's yours and his fault that my baby is gone!" she screeched, standing up and heading for the doorway. She had to get away from him. She had to get away from that monster.

The brown bear immediately got up and grabbed her arm, pulling her away from the doorway. He knew that if she went through the doorway, he would never see her again. He couldn't allow that. He pulled her into his arms, holding her throughout her struggles with one paw keeping her snout shut—no use in having everyone find out what happened. He pulled her back to the bed and forced her upon it. He lay upon her, holding down her arms and legs with his paws and knees. "Now stop it, Trix! Talk to me!"

Her eyes full of anger and hatred she lifted her head and sank her teeth into his nose and upper lip. She refused to let go; she had to let him know how angry she was… how much she hated him and what he had done to her. "Get the hell away from me!" she screamed, fighting against his grip.

It took everything the thang player had to hang onto her and not protect his injured nose and lip. He watched as the blood stained her facial fur a golden red. "No! I won't leave you like this! You're being ridiculous! Stop it!"

What happened next, neither knew for sure. One moment, Trixie was struggling against her husband, and the next, her teeth were embedded in his neck. Her canines dug deep into the tender skin; she refused to back down. She growled fiercely and continued biting.

Tennessee let out a pained screech that died out as blood gurgled out of his throat; more blood streamed out of his mouth. His eyes were huge and filled with pain and confusion. How had it come down to this? What… What was going on? Why had Trixie done this…? "T-T-Trix…ie…" he gurgled, no longer having the strength to hold her down as he collapsed on top of her.

She kept her teeth clenched tightly for a few more seconds before realizing that he had stopped fighting. Almost immediately, she removed her teeth from his throat and pushed him off of her. Upon being freed from the weight, she took off, not hearing the weak, almost silent, whimpers that came from her husband.

Tennessee lay there, blood slowly seeping through the bed sheets… his blood. The pain was so terrible. He could see his strength leaving his body, seeping out just like his blood. Yet, despite what was happening to him, all his mind could focus on was that he was alone. His true love, his attacker… she had left him to die. The mere thought crushed his soul; he **_wanted_** to die. If he couldn't live a life with Trixie, then why bother living?

He let his eyes drift shut, waiting for his life to end.

_.~*~._

Zeb and Fred walked around the grounds of the _Hall_ that evening, silently contemplating life. Everything that had happened lately was out of a nightmare, yet it felt so familiar. It was as if they had been transported back in time to those six months in which Beary had been in a coma. Life had been so dismal back then, but at least they had Jewel running around and causing a bit of mischief to lighten up the mood.

Now…? All that was left was silence. There was no Jewel. There was no Beary. Just silence.

It was heartbreaking.

"You… You think we'll see 'em again?" Fred asked softly, breaking the silence.

Zeb blinked and looked at his friend. "I don't know, big guy… I just don't know…" He looked at the ground as they walked, then looked at the leaves falling from the trees. He had never really looked at them before, usually just passing by without noticing the beautiful colors. He sighed, knowing he had to lighten up the situation somehow. "I think sports are stupid."

Fred blinked several times and looked at his younger friend. "Huh?"

"Yeah. Haven't you noticed? Guys runnin' around in tights and chasin' after a ball. I mean, how lame is that?"

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, Freddy-boy. Just commentin'. I mean, how comfortable must it be for a bear wearin' those tight pants? Why would a bear even wear pants?"

Without even thinking about it, Fred glanced down at his jeans, and then at Zeb, who wasn't wearing any. "Hey…"

Zeb didn't pay any notice as he continued talking. "And then they call a goal a touchdown in… what is it? Oh, yeah! Basketball!"

"Dat don't even make sense!"

"That's what I've been tryin' to tell you! It makes no sense!"

Fred didn't get a chance to respond before Zeb went on.

"And a homerun in soccer? What the heck is up with that?!"

"Zeb…"

"And then they hafta touch the home plate in order to have a goal, and **_then_** they have to touch second base in order to shoot into the hoop! I mean, come on!"

"Uh…"

Screams suddenly filled the air, emanating from the southwest. Both males immediately turned and began running in the direction of the screams. "What on Earth?!" Zeb shouted when Trixie ran out of her and Tennessee's shared cabin moments later, covered in blood. She gave them one glance before turning and running into the trees.

Fred and Zeb both skidded to a halt, watching the female figure disappear, before glancing at each other and then at the open cabin door. Something wasn't right.

"S-Should we go in?" Fred questioned, unsure about what to do.

"We have to see where that blood came from, Fred," Zeb replied, taking a couple steps towards the cabin. After a few moments, he noticed Fred following him as they slowly walked through the cabin. "Oh, yuck! What the heck is that smell?!" he exclaimed, holding his nose. The metallic scent of blood mixed with the intoxicating scent of bleach was horrible and seemed to fill the cabin. Still following the scent, the two bears found themselves walking into a horrifying sight.

Tennessee was lying on his side, his arms splayed out in front of him. His mouth was slightly open and his eyes were closed. Upon closer inspection, Zeb saw the blood seeping out of his neck and his chest was barely moving.

The auburn bear's heart seemed to stop for a moment as he took in the scene in front of him. He didn't know what to think at first, but finally everything registered with him. His friend, one of his only friends, was bleeding to death in front of his very eyes. Without realizing what he was doing, he ran to the bed and checked Tennessee's wrist for a pulse. A relieved sigh escaped him, but it only lasted for a moment. "Fred! Call an ambulance and get me somethin' to stop the bleedin'!" he practically shouted, carefully placing his paws on Tennessee's neck, trying to stop the bleeding without injuring him further. Feeling the blood under his paws caused him to tremble slightly, hating the feeling.

Fred Bedderhead couldn't move, unable to comprehend the situation. Everything was happening way too fast. Here was one of his best friends, his "brother" of sorts, bleeding to death after having his throat bitten out. With a queasy stomach, he turned to go to the bathroom, needing to throw up, but he never made it. Instead, he collapsed to his paws and knees, emptying the contents of his stomach on the wooden floor.

"FRED!" Zeb was furious. If his older friend delayed any more, Tennessee would die. "HURRY UP!" He glanced at Fred, angrily, wondering what was taking so long.

Fred had never been one to respond to orders or being shouted at. His mind was shutting down; he did **_not_** want to be in this situation. He didn't know what to do! However, he forced himself to get up and move towards the bathroom again. He didn't allow himself to think anymore. Walking into the bathroom, he refused to acknowledge the blood that was there, and just grabbed a towel before hurrying back. He threw it to Zeb before hurrying out of the room. He had to call for help.

Zeb grabbed the towel and gently, but a little hard, against his friend's neck. He knew that Tennessee's jugular hadn't been torn; otherwise he would've died almost immediately. He noticed that Tennessee had opened his light brown eyes and looked at him. The pain was obvious. "Hey, Ten. I've got you. Don't worry. I've got you."

Tennessee looked at the younger bear, trying to speak, but nothing came out.

"Don't try and talk, stupid. You're weak enough as it is…" Zeb looked into his eyes, knowing that his friend wasn't going to make it. That meant this was his only chance to apologize for his actions two months ago. "Hey… I… I wanted to…" Why was this so difficult?! This was his last chance! He licked his lips. "I wanted to say… A-About w-what happened… a-at the b-bar… I… I'm so-sorry… I d-didn't mean to do what I did… I swear, I didn't. I wasn't thinkin' and-"

He broke off when he felt a paw on his arm, just above his wrist. He blinked and looked down, only to find that Tennessee had put his paw on his arm. He looked back up at his older friend. "T-Tennessee…"

The forgiving gaze in Tennessee's eyes was almost unbearable. He knew he didn't deserve his forgiveness. He looked away, trying to hide the tears. "Y-You can't die… Y-You have a wife to take care of… a-and when Jewel comes home… You don't want her to be without a father, do you?" He glanced at Tennessee's eyes, only to find that they had closed. "T-Tennessee? Hey, wake up…" he cried, trying to wake him up but to no avail. "Oh, Ursute…" he whispered, his entire body shaking; he just barely managed to keep his paws on the towel that was on Tennessee's neck.

Deep down in his heart, he knew. He knew the thang player was dead.

.~*The Country Bears*~.

"So, is James okay with being left alone with the little monster?" Ted, wearing just a jean jacket, asked, looking across the table at his date. He and Jade were at _Applebee's_ in Shelbyville, Tennessee. Jade had finally returned from Salt Lake City a few days ago, and Ted had taken a while to figure out how to ask her out on a date. Jade, however, was the one who asked **_him_** out; she had called him up a few hours ago, saying that she needed to get out of the house for a while. He wasn't going to complain.

Jade, wearing jeans and a black t-shirt, shrugged. "Didn't really give him a choice. I needed a break. I just tied him and Jordan to a chair and left." She smirked at the shocked look on the singer's face. "I'm kidding, Theodore," she laughed.

The black bear blinked several times, wondering if she was actually telling the truth or not. With Jade, he could never be sure. '_I guess that's why you like her so much, Teddy-boy,_' he said to himself. '_Definitely different._'

"Anyway, Erin is getting along nicely. Tasha's happy to be back home, but…" Jade sighed. "She's embarrassed about her scars… I'm not sure what to do… She won't even talk to James."

Ted stayed silent, letting her go on.

"One of the reasons why she is so embarrassed is probably because when Jordan saw her for the first time, he screamed… She won't even look at her daughter. I think she's afraid of being rejected." A growl left her throat. "What she needs right now is her family. That no-good sister of hers, Trixie, should be taking care of her, not me! I can only do so much!"

The singer's eyes widened slightly at the outburst; he could feel others' eyes on them. "Uh, Jade… Perhaps we shouldn't talk about this…? Right now, at least."

The she-bear blinked and glanced around. "I guess you're right… Sorry, Theodore."

"How many times must I remind you to not call me that…? My name's Ted, not Theodore."

Jade raised an eyebrow and looked back down at her menu. "When's that waiter going to get here?" she muttered.

"Soon, I think…" What else was he going to tell her? She wasn't exactly in a happy mood at the moment. He didn't want her yelling at him. Also, how was he going to explain what was going on with Trixie? How was he supposed to explain that she had fallen into a deep depression? Perhaps this was best saved for later, like he had said before. Might as well not make her even more angry. "What are you going to eat?"

"A chicken and mushroom sandwich with a side order of Cesar salad," she said, taking a sip of her Dr. Pepper. "You?"

"Hm… This deer meat sandwich looks good, along with a small salad." He, too, took a sip of his honey-flavored tea and looked at her, admiring her soft-looking fur and green eyes. He quickly looked away when he noticed that she was staring right back at him. He couldn't hide his smile, though.

"What are you smiling at, Ted?"

"Huh? Oh, nothin'," the singer replied, diverting his eyes. He hoped that his blush wasn't visible.

Jade raised her eyebrow again and smirked. She knew exactly what he had been smiling at and why he was blushing. She didn't mind, though; it was nice. "You aren't still embarrassed about me asking you out, are you?"

"Uh… Well, I didn't expect it… I thought that I was supposed to ask you out… not the other way around." He scratched the back of his head.

She chuckled. "You were taking too long, Teddy. Besides, I needed a break."

He blinked, totally missing the last thing she said. "Teddy?"

"What? You don't like it?"

"I didn't say that…"

She smirked evilly. "Teddy it is, then."

"Sorry for the wait. It's a madhouse tonight," a young blonde, blue eyed, human female spoke as she stopped next to their table. "I'll take your order now."

The duo placed their orders and the waitress left. "So… Teddy…" Ted muttered, extremely embarrassed. "Zeb better not hear about this…"

"What was that?"

"Oh, nothin'."

"Yeah, right."

Silence.

"So, uh… How are things going at the… _Hall_, is it?" Jade asked after a moment, stirring her drink lazily.

Ted sighed and looked at the table. He rested his head on his paw. "Not good. Everyone's just kinda keepin' to themselves. We haven't heard from Allison or Norbert in quite a while, either. I think they're kinda mad at us for not watchin' Beary better," he said softly. He still felt horrible about what had happened. "They trusted us and we let them down…"

"Don't think like that, Teddy. No one knew what was going to happen. If we did, it never would have taken place. It was a total surprise."

"I guess…"

Jade glanced down at her drink, then at Ted, and then back at her drink. She sucked up a little of the soda in the straw, lifted the straw out of the drink, aimed it at Ted, and spit the soda into his face.

Ted jumped a foot in the air and looked at Jade in surprise. "What the heck?!" he squeaked, startled.

The black she-bear couldn't stop laughing at the dumbfounded look on his face. "Sorry, couldn't resist," she snickered.

The singer blinked several times and wiped his face. "Uh… Okay…" He had no idea how to respond to what she did; he was confused by her childish behavior.

Jade, seeing that he wasn't in the mood to play games, sighed and looked at the table. She pulled a pen out of her bag and lazily drew on her napkin.

Eventually, their food came and they ate in silence, no longer sure what to say to each other. This "date" wasn't shaping up to be what they thought it would be.

Ted paid the bill and they left the restaurant. "So… Now what?" he asked as they walked to his car. "There's still light out…" He was rather upset about how boring dinner had been and he wanted to make it up to her.

"Well, we could walk… I really don't want to go back yet…"

He couldn't help but grin; he hadn't wanted to say goodbye yet, anyway. "A walk it is." He led her over to nearby park and together, they began walking on the sidewalk in the setting sun. They could hear the shrieks of children on the playground as they strolled along in silence. The smell of the trees was refreshing compared to the scent of the city.

They hadn't walked very far before Jade spoke. "Ted?" She was a bit tired of the silence between them, and she knew that Ted would never act first.

"Huh?"

She slipped her paw into his and gently squeezed his paw. "Thanks…"

He blinked several times, surprised by this. "For what?" A small blush crept across his cheeks. He couldn't believe she was holding his paw.

"Everything… For being there when I needed help with Jordan, James, Erin, and Tasha… For helping me get away, even if it was only for a little bit. You have no idea how happy I am right now." Without thinking about it, she moved a bit closer and rested her head on his shoulder. She sighed softly, taking in his scent, which just happened to be the smell of freshly cut wood. She found this both odd and amusing.

Unconsciously, Ted let go of her paw and wrapped his arm loosely around her waist. He was silent, not knowing what to say. After a few minutes, he finally began to speak. "Jade, I-"

At that very moment, her phone went off. "Oh, for the love of… Hello?" she questioned, pulling out the cell phone and answering it. She didn't speak for a couple minutes, listening to the person on the other end. Finally, she sighed. "All right. I'm on my way, James." She hung up and looked at Ted. "Sorry. Apparently something happened with Tasha and she won't stop crying. She won't let James near her. Looks like it is "Dr. Jade" to the rescue."

"It's okay," he replied, a little upset about the fact that he hadn't gotten a chance to tell her what he wanted.

_.~*~._

The car ride was made in silence, like most of the evening. They were about halfway to Jade's house—where Tasha, James, Erin, and Jordan were currently staying while they recovered—when Ted received a phone call from Henry, who said that there had been an accident and that Ted needed to get to Shelbyville hospital as soon as possible. Ted hadn't said anything about the call to Jade, but he knew that she knew he was upset.

After parking in the street, Ted got out of the car, walked around the front and opened Jade's door for her. He then walked with her up to the porch, still a little upset. "I'm sorry the evenin' sucked… I guess I'm not much of a romantic," he said softly, looking at the porch floor.

Jade blinked and looked at him. "What are you talking about? It was fine." She turned and opened the screen door. "I'll talk to you later, okay?"

"Yeah… okay…" He turned and began to walk away. He just reached the steps when he turned on his heel, grabbed Jade's paw, pulled her out of the doorway, and kissed her lips. He held her head for a moment, holding her against him, before blinking and pulling away. "S-Sorry…" Completely embarrassed now, he turned and practically sprinted down the porch steps and sidewalk to his car.

Jade blinked and put her paw to her lips, smiling. She watched Ted very hastily get into his car and pretty much burn rubber as he backed out of her driveway into the street. She noticed that he took off into the wrong direction; instead of going home, he was heading towards the hospital, which was just up the block. She walked into her house finally to survey the damage that had happened in her absence. She was completely unaware of what to expect as she entered back into the mayhem that was her newfound life.


	15. Chapter Fourteen

.~*Chapter Fourteen*~.

The inside of the cabin seemed **_huge_**. There was a small kitchen with green and black marble counter-tops. The cabinets were made from oak that was stained red, the refrigerator was small, about three feet tall, and the stove had four burners and an oven. Next to the stove was a black microwave. In the living room, there were two blue couches—one of which had a wooden frame with just a large blue cushion set upon it while the other one was just a normal blue couch with the cushion completely covering it—and a green armchair. One of the couches had been turned into a bed, where Beary was currently sleeping. In the left wall was a small fireplace, where a fire was currently burning. The walls were painted white. There was no phone, TV, or computer.

On the other side of the cabin was a hallway leading to a staircase next to two doors. The first door opened up to the bathroom. Beyond the second door, and across from the staircase, was Derek and Lei's bedroom, where they were sleeping in each other's arms. Up the staircase was a medium-sized loft; next to the stairs was a small window. A bed was against the far wall with a queen-sized bed covered in a lovely blue patched quilt. The bed wasn't on a stand; the mattress was just resting on the floor. The walls were white, like most of the inside of the cabin, but had no decorations or pictures. Along the left side was a small dresser, and above the bed was a sixteen inch by sixteen inch opening in the wall.

Jewel knelt on the bed, looking through the opening in the wall. She could see into the living room, her eyes focused on the sleeping form of her mate, whose fur was golden in the firelight. She was watching over her love, just as she had every night for the past two weeks. "Oh, Beary… W-Why won't you love me…?" she whispered, a single tear traveling down her cheek. She watched as he woke up with the alarm clock—which was set to go off at four A.M. and looked up at her, blinking in confusion.

Immediately, Jewel pulled back and crouched down, knowing he had spotted her spying on him. She slithered off the bed and went over to the dresser. She pulled out a silver button-up shirt and a short black jean skirt, clothing that she had borrowed from Lei. It was a little big on her, but she would have to make due. She quickly got changed, then pulled out a pair of jean pants and a vest for Beary—borrowed from Derek—and left them on the bed. With that, she traveled down the staircase, intent of heading towards the bathroom.

Beary, currently wearing just red gym shorts, passed by her in the hallway, without giving her a second glance, and walked up the stairs. He did the same thing every day. He knew she had been watching him and it creeped him out. He couldn't understand why she looked at him the way she did. It was odd. Didn't she realize that he couldn't love her back? That it wasn't allowed since he was a whore?

Jewel sighed and went into the bathroom. When she was done, she washed her paws, quickly dried them as best she could, and left the bathroom, heading for the kitchen. It was her turn to make breakfast. She and Lei had settled into a routine, taking turns cooking the meals. Today, she was going to prepare a big breakfast. Beary and Derek needed their strength for their hunt.

She didn't even realize when Lei joined her, not until the she-bear spoke. "Hm… we have no meat, so it looks like we're having eggs," Lei said, getting the eggs out of the refrigerator.

"Again?" Derek complained, walking into the kitchen, scratching his butt.

His mate glanced at him, disgusted. "Derek, knock it off," she complained.

"Wha?"

She poked him in the nose, amused by his stupidity. "Go wash your paws. No food until you do."

"Aww, but Lei-Lei…"

"No 'buts' about it, Derek. Go."

Grumbling, the panda walked back down the hallway into the bathroom.

Beary came down the stairs, looking rather handsome in his black vest and black jean shorts—which reached his knees—and walked through the kitchen back towards his bed, intent on picking it up. He didn't speak to anyone; he hadn't spoken the entire time they had been at the cabin. He just didn't know what to say.

Sure, he was grateful that he was away from that place, but… he knew why he had been allowed to leave: He had gotten all of those females pregnant. He had betrayed Jewel. Ever since they had started dating, he had dreamed of creating a cub with her and only her. Now? There was nothing. How could he even think of that possibility now? Besides, what if he gave her one of those STDs, something he probably had? He would never be able to forgive himself. That's why it was better that he stayed away from her.

However, no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't get her out of his head, nor could he forget their first kiss, their first time in bed together, or the fun they had the next day… that is, until he was taken away from her. He could remember being pulled along a hallway, then thrown into bed with someone and viciously raped by a male. He tried not to think of it, but couldn't stop. He just felt so… **_dirty_**. After that, he had been forced on the females.

Jewel glanced at her friend silently, knowing that she had to talk to him. She was sick and tired of the silence between them. Every day, she hurt; she missed him so much! At night, she tossed and turned from the nightmares that plagued her dreams. She just wanted someone to comfort her, and Lei and Derek just didn't cut it. She wanted her mate. She wanted him to hold her and tell her that everything was going to be okay.

She sighed softly and glanced at Lei. "Be right back," she said softly before heading towards the living room.

Lei paused in what she was doing and watched as Jewel approached Beary, took his paw, and led him out to the porch. At that moment, Derek appeared. "She's talking to him," the silver she-bear commented.

Derek glanced at her, and then looked out the front window. "I'm gonna ta'k ta 'im, too, 'bout both dat and da othah pa't of da Bond. I'm da on'y one who can re'ate ta 'im…"

"Good. Somebody needs to. He's too quiet." She went back to making scrambled eggs. "So, what are you going to hunt and are you sure he's ready?"

"Yeah, he's 'eady. Been t'ainin' 'im enuf. As fo wha we 'untin'… Well… I was t'inkin' a deer…"

"Something so hard? Are you crazy?"

"Bettah ta s'art off wit somet'in' big an' wo'k way down."

"Isn't it supposed to be the other way around?"

"Well, yeah, but…"

Lei was silent for a few moments before she finally spoke again. "J-Just… be careful. Promise me."

Derek went over to her, wrapped his arms around her waist, and kissed her neck. "I p'omise."

Meanwhile, outside on the porch with the sky was still dark, Jewel had forced Beary into one of the chairs without arm rests, not letting him leave. She had to let him know about her feelings and how much he was hurting her. Taking a deep breath, she finally spoke. "Beary, I know that you h-hate me and don't have any interest in me anymore, but the least you could do is talk to me! Please don't shut me out! You're my best friend and I don't want to lose you! I don't understand why… why you can't love me anymore, but…" She placed a paw over her heart. "Y-You're hurting me, C-Bear… I… I don't understand…"

The light brown cub's eyes widened slightly. Jewel thought he hated her? That's not what he meant to do! He had been trying to protect her, but was he really hurting her? He didn't know how to answer her when he, himself, didn't have the answers. He could see the tears falling from her eyes, but he knew it was better to keep his distance. Or was it? Was his logic wrong all along?

Indeed, tears were rolling down the she-cub's cheeks in torrents. "I-I-I ju-just wanna h-have your ar-arms ar-around me again… I-I wanna f-feel safe… I want… I want you to tell me that… That you love me… I still love you…"

Beary shook his head. Yes, he loved her, but he couldn't tell her that, could he? It would be better for her in the long run, wouldn't it? He wasn't sure anymore. Seeing her crying like this, all because of him, was heartbreaking. He was so confused… Didn't she hate him for what he was? **_Why_** didn't she hate him? How could she possibly love a whore? How could she love someone who betrayed their bond? It didn't make any sense.

Seeing the confusion in his eyes, Jewel did the only thing she could think of to prove that she really **_did_** love him. She placed her paws on either side of his face, her claws digging into the skin, and kissed him, closing her eyes. Tears still rolled down her cheeks. She had to remind him of her feelings. She **_had_** to.

He blinked several times, having not expected this. However, the feeling of her lips on his brought back so many happy memories that all the horrible memories of the past three months disappeared. It was as if they were back in their tree house, hiding their secret from the adults, and making out. Immediately, he relaxed, sinking into the kiss as his paws rested on her hips; he felt her paws release his face and wrap around his neck. He needed this… He **_needed_** her… He wanted her in the most sacred way. The past three months had trained his body in what to do.

A small growl rumbled in his throat and he pulled her onto his lap, his fingers quickly unbuttoning her shirt as he caught her lips over and over again with his own, each time deepening the kiss. Once he was sure that all the buttons were undone, he pushed the shirt off her shoulders—after removing her arms from his neck for a moment so that the shirt would come completely off; he then pulled his own vest off—and held her tightly against him.

Jewel knew what he wanted; heck, she wanted it, too! She wanted them to come together once again, something she had dreamed about for the past two and a half months, ever since they took each other as mates. She had sex once with him and now she couldn't get enough of it. She **_needed_** it. She turned her head so that their snouts fit snuggly together as their tongues began dueling, brushing up against each other every couple of moments. They breathed through their noses, hot puffs of air tickling each others' facial fur. Their chest fur mixed, something she loved to feel. She swiveled her hips slightly, burying herself in his lap… teasing him.

She heard him moan and she mentally grinned, having gotten the response she wanted. She pulled away slightly—not her mouth, just the rest of her body—and brought her paws to his jeans, intent on unbuttoning them. Once she had that done, she backed off his lap and stood, forcing him to stand as well just so he keep his mouth on hers. She began sliding his pants down his thighs; she felt him doing the same with her jean skirt, after he had unbuttoned it. The she-cub trembled with excitement, knowing that they were about to reaffirm their bo-

Beary's eyes suddenly widened and he pushed her away, but not before pulling her skirt back up. He remembered. He remembered that he couldn't be with her; that he was a whore. "No, Jewel. We can't," he growled, pulling his jeans back up and quickly buttoning them. He knew that he would just end up hurting her if they went on. He reached down and grabbed his vest, beginning to put it back on. "I c-can't love you. I'm not allowed to."

The she-cub couldn't understand what went wrong. One moment, they were all happy and about to reaffirm their bond, and the next he had pushed her away and began to put his clothes back on. She stood there, half-naked, watching this as tears rolled down her cheeks. No. She couldn't allow this to happen! She needed him! She needed to become one with her mate again.

Without thinking, she pushed him back against the wall, hungrily kissing him as her fingers unbuttoned his pants once again; she hadn't even given him time to put his vest back on, so the fabric fell to the porch floor. "You're not leaving me again," she growled, pushing the jeans down. Since he hadn't buttoned up her skirt before he had pushed her away before, she wiggled her hips, letting it fall to her ankles. "You're my mate and I love you!" She pushed her hips up against his pelvis, hoping to arouse him enough that he would want her. "Please, Beary," she whispered, locking her lips with his.

Beary struggled, not wanting to do this. Well, that wasn't entirely true; half of him wanted this so badly, but the other half told him to stop. He could hear her moans as she rubbed herself against him, going as slowly as she could, and it made him go crazy. As much as he hated to admit it, he wanted her in this way. He wanted to be with her in this way once again. "S-Stop…" he whispered halfheartedly as she moved against him, her teeth biting his neck. "No… I-I c-can't…" He knew he had lost. He had no more will power or rational thought. He softly sighed. Well, if they were going to do this, he was going to make it worth her while.

He picked her up, cradling her in his arms. He held her against him, still allowing her to do what she wanted as she teeth bit into his skin and her claws dug into his back. He walked to the porch door, opened it, and went inside. He didn't even notice Derek and Lei as he walked past them, heading for the loft. Jewel's teeth were still nibbling his neck. Her happiness was all that mattered at the moment. He was tired of hurting her.

Derek and Lei watched the two naked lovers walk through the kitchen, all over each other, and climb the stairs to the loft. Not long after that, perhaps only a few seconds, they heard a soft thud of two bodies falling on the bed. They could hear Beary's growls and grunts, and Jewel's soft moans echoing through the cabin as she begged him for more.

The silver she-bear blinked several times, trying to erase the memory from her mind. "That… was unexpected…" she muttered. "Glad they didn't pick the couch, though."

Derek smirked. "Well… at 'east der togethah 'gain."

"But for how long? You heard them… Jewel kind of forced herself onto him. I don't think Beary's thinking at the moment…"

He nodded sadly. "We'll deal wit it when it's time. Fo now… I guess we just let em go at it. We can go 'untin' in a bit." He gave her a quick smile, went out to the porch, gathered up the cubs' clothes, brought them back inside and set them on the couch.

Lei smiled slyly and walked over towards him. "Sounds like they're gonna be a while… Gives us time…" she whispered, running a claw under his chin. She had already turned off the stove, since the eggs had been done for a couple minutes, so that wasn't a problem. She gave him a quick kiss, turned, and walked towards the bedroom, gesturing with a finger for him to follow her.

Derek wasted no more time as he followed her into the bedroom.

_.~*~._

Jewel's head rested on Beary's chest as she listened to his steady heartbeat and the rising and falling of his chest. She was comfortable where she was, lying on top of him, her hips pressed against his pelvis, letting the heat of his body keep her warm. She hadn't felt so good in such a long time, but she also felt ashamed. She had forced him to do this with her. She knew he hadn't wanted to, but she hadn't cared. She had taken advantage of him and now she was paying for it with a super sore body; however, she was in utter ecstasy. "S-Sorry…"

"Don't be," her mate replied softly. "It was wonderful... Being with you has brought back so many good memories, something I needed so much. I love you, and I missed you."

"I missed you, too, C-Bear…" She kissed his cheek before returning her head to his chest. She stretched out one of her arms, grasping his paw tightly.

Beary's arms were outstretched as he stared at the ceiling. He was feeling much better about himself, now that he and Jewel had come together in bed again. He was rethinking his negative thoughts, wondering if keeping Jewel away really had been the best idea. How could it have been bad if he now felt so good? Suddenly, he thought about STDs, and his eyes widened. He didn't get a chance to say anything before Jewel spoke.

"I love you, C-Bear," she whispered. "I want to be with you forever, no matter what the consequences. I want to fall asleep in your arms, make love with you, and have you hold me every night… I want to make a cub with you… I want to grow old together… You're mine and I'm yours." She snuggled up a bit closer to him. "D-Don't le-leave me again…"

His eyes softened and he gently kissed the top of her head. "I won't, Jewel… I promise…" He sighed, knowing that this next bit was going to tear her apart. "But… We can't do this again… I… I can't love you… I can stay by your side and be your friend, but I can't love you, not in that way… I… I never should have done this… I should have stopped you when we were on the porch…"

"No. Don't do this, Beary… not again," she pleaded, lifting her upper body and looking into his hazel eyes. Her paws were on either side of his head, holding her up. "You're my mate… we're suppo-"

"Jewel, we're only twelve. We **_shouldn't_** be doing this! We never should have done this! It's wrong and you know it! The only reason we did it the first time was to become mates and not be sold… We did this to become breeders… I don't want you to be used whenever I feel a **_need_** and I don't want you to use me when you get that same need… It's wrong. We're too young…"

"I don't care! I love you and I know you love me! We're never going to go home again, so why can't we be together?"

"What if you got pregnant?! I don't want to do that to you!"

"As long as the baby is yours, then I don't care! I want to be the mother of your-"

"You don't know what you're talking about! I don't want to force you to be a breeder! I don't want that life for you!" He sat up, letting her fall into his lap, and gripped her shoulders. "I don't want you to have my cub! I… I don't want you to be a mother… not yet…"

"Isn't that my decision?"

"Jewel, please… I… I don't want to lose you…"

"What are you talking about? You won't lose me! I will never leave you!"

He shook his head.

"Why can't you just love me? Why can't you let me love you?"

He closed his eyes and sighed. "B-Because… I… I probably gave you a STD or something…" he whispered, wanting to let her know his reasons for why he couldn't sleep with her and why he didn't want her to have his child, which would also be infected by the disease.

Her eyes widened slightly and she looked at him in shock. The possibility hadn't even crossed her mind. What if he had AIDS and had given it to her? Wait. He would have told her, wouldn't he? Was that why he had tried so hard to stop her? Is that why he had stayed away? She backed away from him, separating herself from his warmth. She trembled and shook, terrified.

Beary looked at her, slightly confused. "Jewel?" He could see that her eyes were filled with fear, something he couldn't understand.

"S-Stay a-away…" she whispered. This was too much to take in. How could it be true? How could he not have told her?!

**_It's not like you gave him a chance,_** the voice in her head claimed. **_You wanted him so badly that you didn't give him a chance to warn you. It's your fault, not his._**

"Shut up," she complained. "He could have pushed me away."

**_He _**did**_ push you away, remember? You pushed back._**

"But… He could have tried harder!"

**_And you would have fought harder. He only got in bed with you to make you happy, and you were happy! Now that he _**might**_ have a STD, you're going to throw him away like yesterday's trash? You're the lowest of low. Besides, if he was infected and he gave it to you, then there's nothing you can do about it. And stop thinking about yourself! Think about any future cubs you might have! They'll be infected, too!_**

Jewel shook her head, not wanting to hear the voice anymore. "Go away!" The voice had first appeared a few days after her love had been taken from her. She had started arguing with herself mentally and sometimes out loud. It had been her only source of comfort, sans her daydreams, when she was forced to do Thrasher's bidding. The voice kept her sane… or was it the other way around? Was she crazy? She didn't know anymore.

**_You're such a hypocrite. One moment, you tell him that you'll love him no matter what the consequences, and the next you're shunning him. You're pathetic._**

The she-cub leaned forward, her nose touching the carpeted floor, and let her tears fall. The voice in her head was right. If she was infected with a disease, then it would pass onto her child; if she ever had one, that is. She had doomed any offspring she and Beary might create. She would never be able to have a cub… Never be of any use. It was too cruel. "I-It's n-not f-fa-fair…" she softly sobbed.

Beary looked at her in confusion. One moment, Jewel was arguing with herself, and the next she was crying. What the heck was going on?! However, he couldn't just sit there and watch her cry, so he got up and pulled her into his arms, ignoring her struggles. He wasn't just going to let her suffer this alone, especially when it was his fault. He held her head against his chest, gently stroking her hair. "I'm sorry, Jewel… I'm so, so sorry… I… I tried to stop this… But… Oh, hell… This is all my fault. I should've stopped it… I… I was too weak by your… your beauty and love… I know that's no excuse and that… Anyway, what I'm trying to say is, will you forgive me?"

Jewel pulled away from him, growling. "I… I don't know. It's too soon." Would she ever be able to forgive him? She doubted it. This was his fault. "Just… Just go. Get out of my room."

He looked at her sadly. "I… All right…" He backed away and slowly walked down the stairs. He only gave one glance back, only to find that Jewel had curled up on the bed, crying. A single tear traced his cheek. He had never felt more horrible in his life. He had vowed to protect her and he failed. He hadn't been able to protect her from himself…

Or his sinful lust.

.~*The Country Bears*~.

Jewel looked out the window near the staircase, letting the tears roll down her cheeks. She had gotten her clothes back on a while ago, but had immediately returned to her room. She had chased the only one she had ever loved away. She had seen Beary's face when he and Derek had left for their hunt about five hours ago, and for some reason, she knew that he wasn't going to come back to her. Yet, she couldn't stop thinking about the possibility of her contracting an STD from what they had done only a few hours ago.

She knew it was her own fault for not stopping when he asked her to. She had brought this upon herself. Who was she to judge, anyway? The voice in her head had been right; she **_was_** the lowest of the low. One moment, she had told Beary she loved him and the next… she shunned him. He probably thought she had used him just to get over her need for sex. He probably thought she was a monster.

Over the past few hours, Jewel had had time to think. She realized that it was too late to do anything about the STD anyway. It was just one more thing they had in common now. That thing shouldn't stop them from loving each other. She couldn't deny her feelings for him, no matter how angry she was. She still loved him, and she had to let him know that.

But… the STD… What if she got pregnant? Wouldn't that hurt the cub? She sighed softly.

"Jewel?" Lei questioned as she reached the top of the stairs and sat down on the last step. She looked at the golden cub with concern. "You missed lunch… What's wrong, young one? Still thinking about that fight?"

Jewel glanced at her out of the corner of her eye and sighed. "It's nothing…"

"Yeah, right."

"Just leave me alone!"

Lei was taken aback by the normally sweet cub's demeanor. "Jewel! Don't talk like that to me!"

"Sorry…" After a few more minutes of staring out the window, the she-cub spoke again. "D-Does B-Beary have a… a STD?"

The silver she-bear blinked several times, not expecting the question. "What on Earth gave you that idea? There's no way! Thrasher made sure that no one had any kind of disease; he checked everyone's medical records and had me give a physical examination to everyone, too. If they did… well, let's just say he got rid of them and anyone they came in contact with sexually.

"The only ones he hadn't checked anything out on was you and Beary because you two were so young and you were virgins. He checked your parents' medical records, however, just to make sure of your linage. Beary's was a bit more difficult to find, not to mention confusing, but he found it eventually.

"You both have strong linage and good blood that will pass onto your children. He had to make sure of Beary's, due to him being the male breeder that gave the females his sperm in order to create cubs." She sighed. "Besides, after fifty years of Derek and I being breeders, and we haven't contracted any diseases, then it's unlikely that you have gotten any."

"So… I… Neither of us is infected…? We're both just fine?"

Lei nodded and held the young cub as she cried. She did her best to sooth her, reassuring her that everything was going to be okay.

"Everything's n-not gonna be okay," Jewel whispered after her tears had died out. "B-Beary's s-still gonna be f-forced i-into bed with other f-females…"

"You know what got me through the last fifty years of Derek being forced to do the same thing?"

"W-What?"

"I knew that he loved me and not those others. I knew he would always come back for me and love me."

"Did he ever tell you that he didn't want you to have his cubs?"

"He didn't want me hurt. He didn't want me to know the pain of losing my child…"

"What do you mean?"

Lei sighed, wondering how she was going to explain this. "Well… When the child reaches the age of two… they are either sold off as slaves or are adopted into loving families illegally."

"S-So… w-what you're saying is… W-We only get to keep the cubs for two years… and then…"

She nodded sadly. "That's why he was so reluctant to do anything with me or force me to do something I didn't want. I pleaded with him. I wanted his child; I wanted to be useful… And then… when I had my first cub, I was so happy. We raised the cub together…

"Three months after Matthew had been born, I was pregnant again. I hadn't expected it at all. And so it went on. We had three more cubs before Matthew had been sold on his second birthday. Thomas followed him on his second birthday, as did Benjamin, Lucas, and Jonathan. Each time one was taken from me, there were two to six more waiting for their second birthday… They each met a similar fate… I didn't even know why they were being taken away until I found out about Matthew…"

Tears rolled down her cheeks as she thought of the cubs she had lost over the years. "Then, when I was around twenty-eight, after almost eight years of not giving birth while I was in college to be a doctor, we had our first daughter. However, unlike the others, she was taken from me right away. Derek didn't want her to meet the same fate as her siblings, so he took her away shortly after she had been born. He gave her to a loving family…

"In the end, I learned not to grow attached. I kept myself apart. Yes, I loved them, but not as much as I should have."

Jewel looked at her sadly, unsure of what to say. She couldn't imagine the pain that the older she-bear had gone through, but she couldn't help wondering about whether she would be able to be as strong as Lei. Then she remembered. Beary thought she hated him. She would never be able to be with him again.

As if she knew what the young bear was thinking, Lei went on. "Don't worry, Jewel… He still loves you. He's been staying away so you won't get hurt. What happened earlier… I don't think he could help himself. Then again, you were at as much fault as he was."

The golden she-cub looked down, embarrassed. "I… I just wanted him so bad…"

"I know, young one. I know. And, judging by how eager he was to get you up the stairs, it was obvious how much he wanted you, too. He loves you very much, Jewel. I've never seen someone so young express that much love before. Derek didn't even love me like that until we were a bit older, around fourteen. It was around that time that we realized we were never going home again… That's when he asked me to marry him, to complete the bond."

Jewel blinked. "You mean… making… uh… love… isn't the full bond? We're not completely bonded?"

"There is a ceremony that seals the bond. It forms the other half of it. You see, having sex with the one you love connects you in the physical way, but marriage connects you on the spiritual level. When these two are done, you are connected for eternity. You become one. That means that if he has a child that is not physically yours—which is rather rare, but in our circumstances it is common—the child still belongs to you and vice versa. You are its parent. The other female or male—that is, if the wife gets with another male—is only the child's parent on a physical level while you are its parent on the spiritual level."

"So, what you're saying is that those other females… I'm the true mother of those cubs?"

"Well, not yet. You're not married, so it doesn't work."

"Oh…"

"Didn't your parents tell you about this?"

"Not this part… I knew they were holding something back… They said that once you were bonded, you could never go after another… I thought that meant marriage… isn't it the same?"

"Not exactly. Marriage is just a formality. The ceremony is what completes the bond. However, they got some things right, at least. It's just that some things just don't work out the way they were planned. Sometimes, in order to protect someone you love, you'll do anything. Even give up a part of yourself. Don't worry, kiddo. Everything will work out as it sho-" The sound of feet stomping on the porch drew her attention. "Back already?"

Jewel immediately pulled out of her hug and raced down the stairs. She reached the door in no time flat and threw it open. "Beary, I'm sor-" Her eyes widened and she froze. Standing before her was Thrasher.

Lei appeared out of nowhere and pulled the she-cub back behind her. Her teeth were bared as she snarled at the grizzly, "What the hell do you want?"

"Tut, tut. I came by for a visit. Wanted to see how my breeders were comin' along," the grizzly replied, not sounding at all caring. "Can't I come in?" Without waiting for an answer, he pushed her aside and walked right in, shutting the door and locking it behind him.

Lei stood protectively in front of Jewel, watching as Thrasher looked around their cabin. She didn't say anything, not wanting to anger him. "Jewel, when I say now, you make a run for it," she whispered so softly that Jewel almost missed it. Lei flexed and inflexed her paws before leaping at the grizzly. "Jewel! Now!" Her teeth and claws latched onto Thrasher's skin as she fought against him, hoping to keep him away from Jewel.

Jewel wasted no time in racing for the door. She struggled with the lock for a moment, ignoring the fight going on behind her, and finally threw open the door. Just as she was running through the doorway, a large paw grabbed her hair and yanked her backwards. She let out a screech as she was pulled into the grizzly's arms, kicking and screaming.

Thrasher had had no trouble getting rid of the silver she-bear, throwing her against a cabinet and having her strike her head, and had quickly grabbed the golden cub before she could escape. He kicked the door shut again and pushed the she-cub onto the wooden-framed couch, causing it to collapse into a bed—the back of the couch collapsed, forming a flat surface—and he sat on her, grinning as he reached into his vest pocket. He pulled out a pair of handcuffs and cuffed both her wrists to the wooden armrest.

After making sure they were secure and making sure that she had a bit of leverage to struggle if she wanted to—he loved it when they did—he then climbed off of her, grinning before turning to look at the fallen she-bear for a moment to make sure she was still down, before looking back to the cub. He pulled a knife out of his other pocket and cut the clothes off her body, throwing them onto the floor. "I forgot ta teach ya yer place. No wonder ya defied me."

"Wh-What are you talking about?" She trembled violently, knowing what was about to happen. '_Beary, where are you?! Help me!_'

He struck her across the face and stripped himself. "I'll teach ya yer place! A slave does not talk back to their master!" With that, he covered her small body with his own, ignoring her screams and struggles as she tried to get away. He wasted no time in forcing himself into her.

Secretly, he just wanted to get this over with; he didn't believe in being in females, but he knew that that human was outside, waiting for him to finish. He couldn't wait to get back to the warehouse and be with his slave. That, or go find his new boy-toy. For now, however, he was going to try and enjoy this moment as he beat the she-cub. He bit her face, shoulders, neck, ears, and chest, leaving deep gashes in her skin; his canine teeth had been sharpened to a sharp point, so they easily pierced the fur and skin.

"Ya'll learn ta stay in yer place and mind me!" he snarled. "Or ya will die!"

Jewel continued to scream and cry as she bled out. The monster on top of her had his teeth at her throat and she was positive he was going to kill her. '_Beary… I'm sorry…_'

Lei struggled to get up after a few minutes of being thrown like that. Blood dribbled down the cut on her forehead and her vision blurred. However, she could see and hear well enough to know what was going on. Her eyes immediately narrowed and a fierce growl left her throat. She found herself on her feet and began running towards the duo.

"Leave her alone!" she snarled, pulling the younger bear off the cub and throwing him against the wall. She could hear Jewel crying behind her; she also knew that as soon as Thrasher was able, he would go back to the cub and continue raping her. Lei couldn't allow that to happen. She knew what she had to do, and she didn't like it one bit.

So, while Thrasher was temporarily disoriented, she stripped herself and approached him. '_Derek… please forgive me…_' she silently prayed before kissing the brown bear, pushing her body up against his.

Thrasher pushed her away, growling. "Get out of here, ya damn bitch! It's not yer turn!"

Lei was not to be swayed as she attacked him again, kissing him hungrily. Her paws dipped down past his waist, trying to get him aroused so he would focus on her and leave Jewel alone. "You know you want me. You've wanted me for so long, Thrasher. You wanted to teach me a lesson, didn't you? Here's your chance!" She kissed him once more, letting her lips linger on his.

The grizzly frowned and grabbed her throat. "Since ya want to give yerself to me, then ya are gonna do **_everything_** I say," he growled, dragging her down the hallway.

As the sixty-one-year-old was thrown into the bed and cuffed to the headboard with two pairs of handcuffs, she couldn't help but wonder if she made a mistake when Thrasher covered her body, both beating and raping her. However, if it meant that Jewel would be safe for Beary, then she didn't care.

'_Derek… please hurry…_'

.~*The Country Bears*~.

Beary silently looked through the branches of the tall tree he was in, his eyes set on the group of elk grazing in the field. The wind carried their scent away from them, something he was grateful for. It meant that the elk had no idea he or Derek were there. The tree branch he was on was just enough to support his light weight and it wasn't long before a young and slightly fat elk walked under his tree. His antlers weren't even fully grown in, either; they were fairly small. That meant Beary wouldn't get skewered when he killed the animal. Perfect.

He glanced up, looking for the panda. In the tree across from him was Derek, who silently signaled him to attack with a nod. Beneath his tree was another elk, this one a bit older, but not as fat. It also appeared that its antlers had been damaged in a fight, which meant that the panda wouldn't get killed. Hopefully.

After all, they had been in these trees since around five this morning, waiting for their prey to arrive. Sure, they had both gotten rather stiff, not to mention having to hold in their bladder, but it was worth it. He could almost taste the meat now.

As silently as he could, Beary pulled the knife out of his vest and slid off the branch. Across from him, in the other tree, Derek did the same. Falling through the air, Beary braced himself for the pain he knew was about to feel from coming to a sudden halt.

Then again, nothing could hurt worse than seeing Jewel's hateful eyes which had been directed on him only hours ago. That pain made his heart ache horribly when he thought about it. He knew he had lost her. However, that didn't mean he would let her starve, no matter how angry he was at her rejection. He still loved her, even if he couldn't be with her anymore.

Fueled by that thought, he held on for dear life as the elk began to buck, trying to get the foreign object off his back. Beary struggled, keeping his face down, to stay on. He tilted his knife and ran it between the struggling buck's ribs, hoping beyond hope that he had pierced its heart and could stay on long enough.

Of course, it was not to be. The elk gave one more fierce buck, launching Beary into the air. However, the blade managed to stay within the elk's ribs. Beary landed heavily on the ground, feeling his shoulder pop out of its socket. He screamed. That is, until he felt paws lift him up and hold him still.

"S'ay s'ill! Let me work on it!" Derek growled, forcing the cub to stay still as he carefully felt Beary's injured shoulder. He could tell that the cub was trembling like crazy. Who could blame him? Having a shoulder dislocated was **_not_** fun. "Easy, kid," he whispered as he popped the joint back in; he was grateful that Lei had shown him how to do this. His ears flattened as he tried to block out the blood curdling scream. Lei was going to have to look at this, he knew that much. He reached into his side pack and pulled out a large bandage. He carefully made a makeshift sling and tied it over the cub's shoulder.

A slew of curses left the twelve-year-old's mouth as his shoulder throbbed painfully, but not as bad as it had moments before.

The panda sighed and looked around. "Well… At leas' we got sum meat…" His kill was lying where he had left it under his tree. A blood trail was all that was left of Beary's elk. A little ways ahead, the sunlight glinted off the knife blade, which was lying in the bloody grass. The panda knew the injured elk was suffering somewhere, meaning that he would have to track it down and finish the job.

"S-Sorry," Beary hissed.

"Nah, mah fault. Lei-Lei was 'ight. Ya ain't 'eady fo da big stuff. Shou'da done somet'in' smallah."

"I'm fine! I just screwed up!" He got up, using the tree for support, and snarled. "I screw up everything! I'll never be able to do anything right! Nothing goes right! I ruin everyone's lives! It's my fault that Jewel's in this situation and that she's not with her family anymore!"

"Knock it off, ya damn idiot! Stop complainin' 'bout stuff ya can't cont'ol!"

"You don't understand! You don't understand anything! You don't know what Hell is! You don't know what it's like to betray the one you love!" He was speaking without thinking, but he didn't care. "You don't know what it's like to be raped! To be forced into bed with that madman!"

Derek's blue eyes narrowed dangerously and he forced Beary against the tree, holding his paws to the cub's throat. He applied pressure, but not hard enough to cut off air supply. "Don't assume dat ya are a'one in dis wo'ld! I know **_exactly_** wha yer goin' t'rough! I **_love_** Lei-Lei! And **_yes_** I know wha it 'ike ta be raped by dat basta'd!" he snarled, staring directly into the cub's hazel eyes. "Ya 'ave no idea! I offahed mahse'f ta 'im in yer p'ace, knowin' dat I wou'd nevah see mah Lei-Lei again! So don't cha **_ever_** say I don't know wha sacrifice is!"

Whatever Beary had been expecting the panda to say, that was **_not_** it. He was startled by the fact that Derek had offered himself to Thrasher, just to free Beary. Why would he do that? It was insane! "W-Why?"

The panda backed away, releasing Beary from his grip. "Let's juzz say dat T'rashah did somet'in' ta one of mah boyz and I cou'dn't p'otect mah boy zen. I ain't gonna let it 'appen 'gain." He turned away and walked back to his kill. "Ya know… ya don't 'ave a STD. No way. T'ashah wou'dn't 'llow it. Ya kin be wit da gu'l. 'Sides, ya gotta comp'ete da Bond wit 'er, anyway."

"Huh?"

With a sigh, Derek went on to explain all about the Bond, telling Beary some of the things he knew and some of the things he didn't, like the spiritual Bond. However, he did not tell the cub about the trials. He was going to wait until they were back at the cabin for that, knowing that Lei could explain it better.

Beary watched in silence as Derek gutted the elk, placing the organs in separate bags and placed the bags in a cooler he had carefully hidden in a nearby bush, and drained the blood. Beary felt like throwing up as he watched this; he had never had a strong stomach for stuff like this. He forced himself to look away as he thought about what the panda had just told him. Was it true? Could he believe him? Could he really be with Jewel and not give her a STD? Was it possible? And what was this about a Spiritual Bond?

He didn't know the answers, but at the moment, he didn't care. He was already creating plans for when he got back. He would sweep Jewel off her feet, kiss her, and passionately make love to her, all the while telling her how much he loved her and wanted to eventually start a family with her. He wanted to tell her that he wanted her completely as his bonded mate. But, would she accept him?

Trying to get away from the negative thought, he thought about something else. There was one question on his mind that had been bugging him for a while. "Why did you take me hunting? Wouldn't it have been better for you to do this by yourself?"

"Nah. Ya needed da p'actice fo da t'ial," Derek replied.

The cub was confused, not understanding what the panda had just said; Derek's dialogue was sometimes hard to understand.

Seeing his confusion, Derek rolled his eyes. "The t'ial. T-Tr-trial," he said slowly, being sure to enunciate properly; at least, he hoped he did.

"What trial?"

The panda sighed, not wanting to explain it. He knew that Beary wouldn't understand him, anyway, so why bother? "Latah."

Beary knew that it was time to drop the subject. He then quietly watched as Derek deboned the elk and packed its meat away in special bags that he got from the backpack he had hidden high in the tree. The whole scene was just so gruesome that Beary had to look away.

"Ya'll lea'n 'ow ta take 'part an elk nex' 'ime." Derek stood up and looked at Beary's backpack—which held the meat and skin; all they had packed in the backpack was a little bit of food and the meat bags in each backpack—then at Beary. "Ya gonna hafta take it ba'k ta da cabin and put it in da f'eezah in da shed. I gotta go fin' da ozzur one an' put it outta its mise'y. 'eave da coo'ah. I'll be needin' it."

The twelve-year-old blinked several times, wondering just how the heck he was going to carry the heavy elk meat. "You're joking, right?" The look the panda gave him told him he wasn't. "How the heck am I supposed to do this?! That thing has to weigh, like, 500 pounds!"

"Nah. Juzz 250."

Beary's eyes just about popped out of his skull. "I don't even weigh that much!"

"Yer much too t'in fo ya own good. T'is be good fo ya."

The cub pouted and winced as Derek placed the pack on his back. He nearly stumbled under the weight and had to lean against the tree for support. His right shoulder ached horribly; he knew this was a bad idea, but he wasn't about to complain.

"Now git goin'. Tell Lei-Lei I be 'ome soon."

_.~*~._

Trudging through the tall grass, Beary sighed, his back aching horribly. He had been walking for almost two hours it felt like, and he had had to stop to rest almost every couple of minutes it seemed, but he always got back up and went on. He had to see her. He had to talk to Jewel. He had to prove to her that he would protect her from now on.

The cabin was finally in sight, and he sighed happily. He glanced around and pulled off his pack for a few moments so he could stretch. His shoulder still ached horribly, but he didn't care as he spotted a patch of late-blooming wildflowers. '_Jewel'll love these,_' he thought to himself happily as he picked a few. After arranging them the way he wanted, he went back over to the pack and pulled it on. His strength was renewed as he continued walking towards the shed in the distance.

Upon reaching the shed, he went inside, placed the flower bouquet on a table, and set the backpack on the floor next to the freezer. He then took out the meat packs, not really enjoying the scent, and placed them inside. He then looked at the other parts of the elk and sighed. He wasn't exactly sure what to do with them, so he placed them in the freezer as well. He knew that the panda would fix the problem when he got back.

Beary then went over to the sink—it amazed him that there was a sink in the shed, but he wasn't going to complain—and washed his paws, making sure he got any blood or dirt that might be on them was gone. Once he was done, he looked for the flowers. It was only then that he realized that the table he had thought he had placed them on wasn't a table after all. It was the hot tub that Derek and Lei had mentioned. It had a wooden covering over it, so it was no wonder he had mistaken it for a table. '_I'm gonna bring Jewel out here one of these nights,_' he thought to himself as he picked up the flowers and began walking towards the cabin, which was a good hundred feet away.

As he neared the cabin, he saw a familiar brown bear leave through the front door and disappeared into the trees with a human. His eyes widened when he realized that the brown bear was Thrasher. Immediately, Beary dropped the bouquet on the ground and raced into the structure, intent on finding out why the brown bear had been there.

What he found was seared into his mind forever.


	16. Chapter Fifteen

.~*Chapter Fifteen*~.

Run. That's all she could do. That's all she knew how to do at the moment. She had to get away from the pain, the fear, and the blood. The blood that followed her everywhere. She couldn't get the scent out her mind or the taste out of her mouth. She didn't know why she could taste and smell blood, but it was driving her crazy. All she could remember was anger, pain, and terror.

Trixie didn't know where she was going, nor did she care. All she knew was that she had to get away. Far away. She didn't notice the sudden temperature drop or when the ice cold droplets began to fall from the heavens, nor did she notice as clumps of her fur froze together. All around her were trees, shrubs, and bushes. She had been running for so long and finally, she had to stop. She collapsed against a nearby evergreen tree and curled up next the trunk, crying. Her thoughts dwelled on her daughter, whom she was never going to see again.

She wrapped her arms around her body, shivering violently against the harsh wind. Her thin coat did nothing to ward off the cold, and the fact that she was completely soaked in cold rain just made matters worse.

Where was Tennessee? Where was her husband? Why wasn't he here with her? Why wasn't he searching for her? Didn't he love her? Why was he letting her freeze like this? Didn't he care?

Trixie couldn't understand what was going on. She wanted to go home, but she didn't know where she was. Then again, did she really want to go home? She didn't know. Wasn't it Tennessee's fault that Jewel was gone? She couldn't answer the question, her eyelids feeling heavy. She closed her eyes, only to have them freeze shut without her knowing as she fell into darkness.

**It's your fault.**

_The she-bear looked around, startled to hear her daughter's voice. "Jewel?!" she cried, standing up and spinning in a circle, trying to find her daughter._

**It's because of you that I'm gone! If you hadn't met Derek, he wouldn't have come after me!**

_Trixie shook her head, confused. "I… Your father is the one who made him mad! Not me! It's his fault, not mine!"_

**You blame everyone but yourself, mother dearest. You're just as guilty as he is! You were dating Derek and then you kissed another bear! No wonder he got mad and wanted revenge!**

_"Jewel, I… I'm sorry!"_

_A figure appeared a few feet away, past the trees. The figure was somewhat short and her fur was golden; she glowed in the darkness. It didn't take a rocket genius to figure out that this was Jewel. _**It's your fault!**

_More tears streamed down Trixie's cheeks as she began running towards her daughter, wanting to hold her in her arms and tell her how sorry she was, but no matter how much she ran, she never got any closer. "Jewel, wait!" she whimpered when the figure turned around, walking away._

**You left me alone in Hell… Why won't you come rescue me?**_ Jewel's voice sounded so pitiful compared to just moments before when it had been full of anger and resentment. _**Help me, Mama… rescue me…**_ Jewel turned around so that Trixie could see the crystal blue tears that traveled down her cheeks. Her body kept moving backwards in the darkness, her arms reaching towards her mother._

_"JEWEL!" the she-bear screamed, sprinting now, desperate to reach her look-alike cub. "No! Come back! Please, come back!"_

"Trixie!"

_She kept running, but she felt arms around her body, holding her back. "Let me go!"_

"Trixie, wake up!"

_She struggled. She had to get away. She had to get to Jewel! "Jewel!"_

"Jewel's gone, Trix! She's gone!"

_It couldn't be true. Jewel was standing right in front of her! _

_Trixie looked ahead again, only to find Jewel was gone. "No!" she wailed. "No, no, no, no, no!"_

"Shh… I got you, Trix… I gotcha…"

_Everything around her swirled and went black._

.~*The Country Bears*~.

Zeb covered the sleeping she-bear with a warm quilt and hung her wet clothes next to his by the fireplace. He had just finished drying her off with a hair dryer, not wanting her to freeze to death. He knew he should get her to the hospital to get checked out, but in this weather, he didn't dare call for an ambulance, knowing that the roads were too icy. He would've taken her himself, but he no longer had a driver's license, so that was out of the question.

He had stayed behind at the _Hall_ in order to search for Trixie while Fred, Henry, and Al—Henry and Al took Henry's car while Fred rode in the ambulance—went with Tennessee to the hospital—Henry had called and said that if they hadn't gotten Tennessee to the hospital when they did, he wouldn't have made it; however, at the moment he was still alive and the next twenty-four hours would be crucial. Right after the phone call, the power lines had gone down due to the ice buildup. It was around that time that Zeb decided he had to find Trixie.

He had been traveling out among the trees when he had spotted her huddled form under a pine tree, covered in a very thin sheet of ice. She had been shaking like mad and crying out for Jewel.

Long story short, he had carried her back through the ice storm, cradling her in his arms, and had immediately brought her to his cabin. There had been a few mishaps along the way where he had nearly twisted his ankle, but they had survived. He had cleaned her up so that the blood was gone from her fur and just let her sleep on his couch.

The fiddler sighed softly as he looked at her. She was so beautiful in the firelight; she looked like an angel. Briefly, he remembered something he had once read in a book about warming someone up with body heat. Without thinking about it, he moved closer to her and lifted her up before sitting on the couch and allowing her to sit on top of him. He made sure there was a blanket between their laps.

He hated these feelings he had for her that he had always had deep down; he knew that Trixie belonged to Tennessee and always would. He was just hurting himself by loving her, but he couldn't stop. He shifted her position so that she was now sitting sideways in his lap. Feeling their fur mixing together just made him so happy as he leaned his head against hers, which was resting on his shoulder. He knew it was wrong, but at the moment, he didn't care.

"Hold me…" the she-bear whispered, lifting her head. She wrapped her arms around his body and snuggled up closer.

Zeb complied, wrapping his arms tighter around her body. He closed his eyes, relaxing. His eyes shot open when he felt her teeth nibbling his neck as Trixie's snout moved upwards, kissing the side of his neck, face, and snout before her lips came to rest on his.

The golden brown bear barely had time to react. How long had he waited to feel her lips on his? He wanted it so bad, so he didn't waste any time in returning the kiss with much passion. Part of him told him to stop, to not kiss her, that she wasn't his. The other half of him told him to keep going, to see how far it went.

He forced the negative thoughts, meaning the ones that told him to stop, out of his mind as he returned her kisses, one of his paws traveling up her back and coming to rest on the back of her head as he held her mouth against his. He felt her teeth on his bottom lip and smiled. His other paw knocked the blanket of her, allowing him to lightly dig his claws into her back, causing her to moan and shift positions on his lap so that she was straddling him—the other blanket still between his lap and hers—as her arms wrapped around his neck. Her fingers ran through his long hair, which he normally kept in a pony tail—but had taken out the pony tail in order to let it dry correctly—and she lightly tugged as her kisses became more hungry and deep.

The reactions came to him so naturally that he wasn't thinking anymore. The last time he had been kissed like this, he had been much younger, about twenty years younger. It felt so good.

Zeb was enjoying this as he deepened the kisses. Everything he had ever dreamed about was coming true. He was making out with a she-bear and loved it.

"Love me, Tenny… Love me and make it all right," Trixie whispered, kissing him again.

Just hearing the name "Tenny" shattered his fantasy. The fiddler's eyes widened and he pushed her away—she landed on her side next to him—breathing deeply. He stood and stared at the figure on the couch, whom had turned on her side, softly snoring, and silently cursed himself for what he had done.

"Stupid, stupid, stupid," he muttered to himself, banging his paw against his forhead. He should've known better. Trixie didn't love him, she loved Tennessee! If anybody ever found out about what he had done, he would need to find another place to live.

Silently, he went over to her again and placed the blanket over her body once more. After that, he went to his bedroom and did his best not to cry himself to sleep. He needed to find someone to love, but for someone like him… Love was hard to come by.

It wasn't just because he was famous or anything like that—it was due to the fact that he had a past of alcoholism, one that had been exploited and put in the papers. After that happened… Any girl that he wanted turned him away. They didn't want to deal with him and his past. Even if any were interested—as they had been before his drinking problem had been exposed—it was because of the money he got due to his singing career. None wanted him for him.

That's why he had doted on Trixie in secret for so long. Trixie wasn't like the other girls, she didn't judge. She listened. In fact, she was the only one he had ever told about his past. Of course, she had never returned his feelings, only having eyes for Tennessee. He knew that it would never work between them, but that didn't mean he couldn't dream. After all, she was the only she-bear who had ever given him a second glance.

He doubted he would ever find someone like that again.

.~*The Country Bears*~.

Fred Bedderhead looked out the window into the hospital courtyard; he was sitting in the waiting room, bored out of his mind. He and the others, sans Zeb who had gone to look out for Trixie, had been at the hospital all night, waiting for news on Tennessee. Ted had showed up later than the others and had been most upset when he learned of what had happened.

Since no one knew exactly what had happened, they did their best to explain that it had been an accident when Trixie and her husband had been making love. As far as they knew, that was correct. Then again, there was the matter that Tennessee had been clothed—as had Trixie when she ran out of the cabin. Of course, they could have put on their clothes after it happened, intent on going to the hospital.

Fred sighed as he thought about it. Had Trixie really tried to kill Tennessee or had it been an accident like they said? Only Trixie would be able to tell them. Tennessee wouldn't be able to talk for a while, if at all, due to the severity of his injuries.

Currently, Henry was in the thang player's room, silently offering his support to the injured bear. Ted was… well, Fred didn't know where his older brother was. Zeb had managed to call about a few hours before and said that he had found Trixie; he would be bringing her to the hospital as soon as the roads were less icy.

The brown bear blinked several times and suddenly noticed two animals playing with an acorn. '_What on Earth…?_'

A raccoon and a squirrel were playing among the roots of an old tree that had been fenced off from the rest of the courtyard. The raccoon raced through the fence, carrying an acorn in his mouth. Behind the raccoon came the squirrel, who appeared to be chattering angrily. In and out between the small, wooden fence boards the two creatures ran, chattering. That is, until the raccoon slammed into one of the larger roots and dropped the acorn. The bushy-tailed squirrel wasted no time in climbing the tree and jumping to where the acorn had landed. The red furred creature then picked up the bit of food and took off with it.

The squirrel ran quickly up the trunk and stopped at the lowest branch, chattering as she held the acorn above her head with her claws like a prize. The young raccoon climbed up onto the branch and snatched the acorn again, holding it in his mouth, before climbing back down the tree and ducking behind a nearby rock. The red furred creature raised a fist above her head, chattering angrily before jumping down and giving chase. The other creature jumped out from behind the rock and tackled the squirrel, playfully chattering, before running in the opposite direction. He glanced back only once, to watch his friend's reaction, only to turn back a moment later and face-plant into the hospital wall.

Fred's eyes widened slightly at the sight. He watched as the squirrel raced over, took the acorn, and raced off again. The raccoon fell on his side, rubbing his head and chattering, as if to say "ow". The squirrel looked down at the raccoon from the tree before climbing down and checking on her friend. She chattered something, as if she was asking if he was okay. The raccoon chattered back happily, as if to say "I am. Human walls can't hurt me." The raccoon just looked at the acorn between them. He picked it up with two fingers and with what could have been mistaken for a shrug, he dug a hole and stuck it in the ground, as if to say that the acorn was more trouble than it was worth.

It was at that moment that the squirrel turned her head, hearing another's chatter. It was her mother, telling her to come home. She gave her friend one last look, and then chattered something to the raccoon before taking up the tree. However, the squirrel didn't get a chance to leave before the raccoon licked her cheek and gave her what looked like a hug before running off towards a group of trees near the wall. He climbed one of the trees and disappeared over the roof.

Fred blinked several times, confused by this interaction. In all his years of being alive, he had never seen anything like that; it was just darn unnatural. Perhaps he had just imagined it… That, or he was going insane. Or somehow got high. Probably high.

"Fred?"

The great bear jumped slightly and turned, looking at his brother with bloodshot eyes. "Huh?"

"You look horrible. Haven't you slept?" Ted questioned, taking a seat a couple chairs away.

The brown bear blinked. Sleep? What was this thing called sleep? He couldn't remember. "Can't git the memory out of my head…" he muttered as he remained standing. It was true, the scene of finding Tennessee lying on the bed, bleeding to death, wouldn't stop repeating in his mind.

The black bear nodded, understanding. Ever since they were little, Fred had been hemophobic—afraid of blood. It had all started with traumatic car accident they had witnessed when they were much younger—Fred had been four, while Ted had been five. They had been out in the front yard when a car, driven by a drunk driver, collided with bicyclist. There had been blood everywhere. Ted and Fred's mother had rushed them inside immediately following the accident and had cleaned them up—a detached limb from the bicyclist had hit Fred…

Ted hated thinking about that day. It still gave him nightmares. He shook his head, ridding himself of that horrid memory. He had to concentrate on what was happening now, not in the past. "Have you tried thinkin' of somethin' else?"

Fred raised an eyebrow and looked at him. "Easier said than done, Ted."

"Right. Sorry." He glanced around, unsure of what else to say. He knew that if Fred didn't want to sleep, then he wouldn't. There was nothing Ted could do about it. However... "How long have you been standin'? Why don't you sit?"

The younger Bedderhead finally nodded and sat down next to his brother. He sighed softly, grateful that he wasn't standing anymore. Truth be told, he didn't want to stand, but felt that if he sat then he might fall asleep. On the other hand, it felt good to sit. He was aware of his brother's gaze, but didn't say anything about it. It didn't matter, anyway.

The two brothers sat in silence, neither liking nor disliking each others' company. They were just content with sitting there.

_Bzzz… Bzzz…_

Ted blinked and pulled out his phone—he and the others had all decided to get new phones around two years ago so that if Beary or his family ever needed to get a hold of any of them, they could. It was also easier to get a hold of each other… when they remembered to charge the contraptions, that is.

Opening it, he saw that the small screen had the words, **TEXT MESSAGE**. '_Text Message? What the heck…? I've never heard of this person…_' he thought as he pressed ON and answered the phone. "Hello? Hello…? Anybody there?" he questioned. He said hello a few more times before hanging up. "Inconsiderate morons. If they're going to call, they might as well stay on the phone," he muttered.

Fred glanced at his brother but didn't say anything.

The black bear put the phone back in his jacket pocket once more and closed his eyes, leaning back against the wall.

_Bzzz… Bzzz…_

Lazily, he opened one eye and pulled out his phone again. It was the same caller. "Hello? Look, whoever this is, hurry up and answer." Once again, he received no answer, so he hung up and put it away.

_Bzzz… Bzzz…_

He tried his best to ignore it.

_Bzzz… Bzzz…_

Still ignored it.

_Bzzz… Bzzz…_

"Oh, for the love of Pete!" the singer exclaimed, flipping open the phone. "Who the hell is this?!" he growled, rather peeved. When he received no answer, he closed the phone and held it tightly in his paw. All he wanted to do right now was either crush it or throw it against the wall.

"Are you okay?" Fred questioned finally, a hint of a smile on his face.

"No," Ted snarled. "I'm about to kill this dang thin'. I don't know who this person is and when I answer, there's no one there."

The younger Bedderhead raised an eyebrow. "Prank calls?"

"I don't know…"

"Don't know what?" Henry questioned, finally appearing. His arms hung by his side and it was obvious that he was extremely tired. Like Fred, he hadn't gotten any sleep. Then again, he had barely gotten any sleep in the past two, three months, so it wasn't like it **_mattered_**. Al was walking beside him. Unlike his brother-in-law, he had managed to get some sleep.

He had just finished talking to the doctors about Tennessee, and they had told him that, for now, the brown bear was still stable. He still hadn't awoken and probably wouldn't for quite some time. His vocal cords had been damaged by the bite he had received, and it was uncertain if he would ever talk again. The doctors weren't going to make any promises.

Henry sat down on one of the bear-sized chairs, Al beside him, and sighed. It felt good to get off his feet. He looked at the brothers again. "Now, what's going on?"

"This stupid person keeps callin' me. When I answer, they aren't there."

"Do you know who it is?" the elder bear asked, curious.

"Someone called "Text Message". I've never heard of them. Maybe it's some delusional fan."

Henry blinked several times, wondering if the black bear was joking. "You're kidding, right?"

"You know this person?"

The band manager bit back his laughter. He knew exactly what a text message was, thanks to Beary. His son had explained text messaging to him back on September 24th, after Henry had spotted him messing with his phone every other minute when it went off. It had been right after they had gotten back to the hotel from the reception and parted ways from the Stones and Jewel, who had gone to their room on the second floor. As soon as they had entered the room, Beary's phone had gone off. Henry hadn't paid attention at first, but after a few minutes of hearing the phone go off, he got curious. Laughing, Beary had explained what he was doing.

Thinking about his child caused the elder bear to fall silent. After the last transmission they had received, about a month ago, he knew his son was dead. He had suffered a seizure and died. They all knew it would happen, due to the fact that Beary didn't have his medicine, so why were they all so surprised? At least he was in a better place.

Without another word to the brothers, he turned and walked away.

The three bears watched him leave in silence for a moment before Ted sighed and got up. He quickly walked away from the other two bears. He was going to call Jade for help.

.~*The Country Bears*~.

'_Why isn't he answering?_' she wondered as she sent another text. Jade, wearing a pair of jeans and a plain shirt—she wasn't in the mood for anything special—was exhausted and frustrated. She had been up half the night trying to calm down her friend and soothe her nerves enough for Tasha to allow James back into the room. Jade still had no idea why her friend had freaked so badly, but had an idea that it was because of a nightmare.

"Aunty Jade?"

The black she-bear turned her head and looked at the five-year-old with a small smile. She wasn't going to let her frustration out on the young cub.

Jordan, wearing just a pair of red gym shorts, clambered up onto her lap and leaned against her chest, yawning. "M-Mama okay?"

"Yeah. You're mother's okay," she replied, giving him a small hug. "She just had a bad dream."

"Bad dweam?" the young bear repeated. "Mama need hug?"

Jade smiled a little. "I think she'd like that, Jordy." She then sighed, remembering Jordan's initial reaction to seeing his mother and her scars. Would he still react like that? Was it worth the risk of upsetting Tasha again? "However, she's sleeping right now."

"But-"

"Just… Go watch _Spongebob_ or something. When your mother gets up, you can see her, okay?"

"Yik! S'oopid s'ow!" the five-year-old complained.

"Fine. Go watch _Little Bear_, then." She wasn't in the mood to argue with him.

"Yipee!" Jordan cheered and jumped off her lap, landing heavily on the floor. He sprinted into the living room and turned on the TV.

Jade rolled her eyes and sent another text. Moments later, her phone began ringing. Blinking, she answered. "Hello?"

"_Jade? That you?_"

"Who else would it be? It's my phone, Teddy," she yawned.

"_You sound tired._"

"I am. Been up all night with Tasha, trying to calm her down." She rested her elbow on the table and placed her head on her paw. "Glad that it's over…"

"_What was wrong with her?_"

"She had a nightmare, I think. James is in there with her now." She yawned again. "How about you?" She'd never admit it out loud, but she was curious about why he had to leave her house in such a rush last night.

There was silence on the other end of the line.

"Ted?"

"_There… Uh… There was an accident… Tennessee's in the hospital and… uh… It doesn't look good._"

"Tennessee? You mean, Jewel's dad?"

"_Yeah…_"

"What happened?"

"_We don't know… No one tells me much of anythin'._"

"What about-"

"_Trixie? I think Fred said somethin' about Zeb bringin' her in a bit once the roads weren't so icy._"

"Oh."

"_Yeah…_" Ted sighed. "_It's been a long night._"

"Tell me about it," the she-bear groaned.

Ted cleared his throat. "_Anyway, the reason why I called is because… um… I keep gettin' phone calls from this person I don't know and when I answer, they ain't there._"

"What does the caller ID say?"

"_Um… '_Text Message_'. I don't know anyone by that name…_"

Jade blinked several times, wondering if she had heard correctly. "Say that again."

He repeated what he said, and she burst out laughing.

"Oh sweet Ursute, Ted!" she snickered. "You're an idiot."

"_Hey!_"

"'Text Message" isn't a person! It's how I communicate when I don't want to talk. I've been sending you messages for the past hour!"

"_Huh? It was you?! Why didn't you say anything when I answered?!_"

Jade couldn't stop laughing for a good five minutes. When she had calmed down enough, she finally spoke. "You better come over here so I can explain it."

His voice dropped into almost a whisper. "_I don't think I can right now… Not a good idea._"

She sighed. "Right… Sorry. I'll come by later, okay?"

"_No!_"

Jade blinked, not expecting the response. "Huh?"

"_I… I, uh, haven't told anyone about us yet… It would just be too awkward with all that's been goin' on._"

"Why didn't you just tell me that instead of making me go half-deaf?"

"_Uh…_"

"Well, anyway, Teddy Bear, I'm sorry, but I need to get some sleep. I'll talk to you later, okay?"

"_Uh… I guess so…_"

Without waiting for another word, she hung up the phone and walked out of the kitchen up to her bed.

.~*The Country Bears*~.

Alan "Big Al" Williams sighed. He was still sitting in the waiting room with Fred, but he wasn't talking. He was reminiscing about things long since past. His family. Mother, father, and his only living blood sibling, Alakalei, also known as Lei, his beloved missing twin sister.

**F****LASHBAC****K**

_Alan and Alakalei laughed as they got off the late school bus. Today had been a lot of fun for the eleven-year-old twins. They had started a food fight in the cafeteria and knew that their parents were going to punish them, but it was so worth it._

_"Al, you have a carrot stuck in your fur," Lei laughed as she pulled the vegetable out of his fur on his neck._

_Al chuckled. "I know." He combed his claws through the fur on his neck and chest. "I'd make a lovely cooked turkey." He reached over and combed some of the mashed potatoes out from behind her ears. "Best thing today was that food fight, especially when I got that Todd kid in the head with a muffin."_

_His twin giggled insanely. "You're crazy." She quickly checked him over for any pieces of food he might have missed, and grinned. "Ma and Dad are going to be so mad at us."_

_Behind them, came running a rather cubby panda cub, known as Derek. His family was Chinese, but had long ago changed their names to English when they immigrated. He was their best friend. Like Al, he only wore a simple vest and no pants. Lei, of course, wore a long skirt and a vest. Her hair was in a messy ponytail._

_"Hey! You couldn't have woken me?!" he called, annoyed. He had more food particles in his fur than the twins combined. "Not cool, guys," he said as he caught up to them._

_"Sorry, Der," Lei snickered._

_Al rolled his eyes. "You looked so peacefully asleep. Who are we to wake you up?" He chuckled and shrugged. "Our parents are gonna probably ground us for a week. What about yours?"_

_"Probably for the rest of my life if they find out. Mom's already on a short fuse since she's pregnant with the new baby. They don't have time for me, anyway…"_

_"Aww, don't be like that." The silver she-cub leaned over and quickly cleaned his fur. "Your parents love you. They're just excited." She elbowed her brother. "Isn't that right, Ally?"_

_Al frowned and sighed. He'd let her calling him "Ally" go. This time. "Yeah, I felt the same way once with Lei, but I've come to terms with her existence." He gave his sister a playful grin._

_She blinked. "Al, I'm your twin… We've always been together. How could you feel the same way?" She was both confused and a little hurt, but she refused to let on._

_Derek stayed silent and kicked a rock up the sidewalk._

_"Lei-Lei, you know I'm totally kidding." The gray male gave a small laugh to lighten the mood. "Anyway, we should head home before we get into more trouble."_

_Lei smacked his arm somewhat playfully. "You're mean." She then looked over at her friend. "Good luck, Der."_

_The panda decided to act like a drama queen at that very moment. "I'm doomed!" With that, he raced off down the street towards his green house. _

_"That boy is something else. I hope he doesn't get into too much trouble. I hear pregnant she-bears are scary," Al muttered as he and his twin began walking back home again. He reached over and brushed some more food off of her fur._

_His sister gave him a small smile. "I think he's cute."_

_Al shook his head in disgust. "Remember, I'm a guy, not one of your "girlfriends"," he said, making quotation marks in the air using his fingers. However, he stored away what his sister said, in case his sister and Derek became a little too close for comfort._

_"Not my fault your name's "Ally"," she laughed, running up ahead towards their house._

_Alan growled and chased after her. "Get back here! I hate that name!" He had lost count of how many times he'd said that, or how many times he had chased her for it, but he did know that eventually he would be able to get back at her for it. And here was his chance as he tackled her to the ground. "Take it back!" he said playfully. _

_Lei shrieked and laughed as she and her brother wrestled around on the front lawn. "Ally, Ally, Ally!"_

_They continued wrestling around for a bit before Al got tired and plopped down on his back. His sister rested her head on his stomach and sighed._

_"That food fight was tiring…" Al muttered. _

_"Mhm…"_

_Grinning, her brother turned on his side and got up. "Race ya inside!" he shouted, racing towards the front door._

_"Wha—AL!" she shrieked, quickly getting up herself. She ran into the house after her brother. She ran into the living room, laughing, only to face-plant into her brother's back. "Al?" she questioned, wondering why he had stopped in the doorway. She looked past him and her eyes widened._

_A much larger black bear was standing in the middle of the living room, staring down at the twins. It was their "uncle" Travis. He wasn't really their uncle, but their father's friend. Around their parents, he was fine, but when it was just the twins and him…_

_Travis noticed Lei and grinned. "Hello, Alakalei. You're looking as pretty as ever."_

_Al pulled Lei closer to him, keeping her behind him. "Why are you here? Where's Ma?" he asked coldly, keeping a dark stare on his "uncle"._

_"She went to the store about ten minutes ago. She has some other errands to run and won't be back for a few hours. Neither will your father. It's just us now." He chuckled darkly._

_Lei trembled and clutched her brother's fur tightly._

_"As for what I'm doing here… Obviously, I'm here to watch you snot-nosed brats." He grabbed a bottle of Honey Ale off of the table next to the chair and took a swig of the sticky liquid._

_Al mentally swore and looked at the adult with disgust. "Well, we have homework to do." He quickly grabbed his sister's paw and led her into his room, keeping his eyes off the older bear. "Don't look at him and keep walking. It's like he feeds off our reactions," he whispered, trying to make his voice sound playful to lighten the mood._

_Lei nodded and followed him into the room. She watched as he fruitlessly stuffed the back of his rolling desk chair under the door knob and placed a couple of books in front of the wheels to keep it from sliding on the wooden floor. "Why today of all days do both Ma and Dad have to be gone…" she whispered. She set her bag down on the floor and sat on the bed._

_Al stood by the door for a moment, listening as Travis turned up the volume on the TV, before walking over to her. "I swear… One of these days, I'll beat that fool up. When I'm bigger. For now, though… We'll just wait it out here." He gave a half-hearted chuckle. "Go ahead and get changed into something clean so that when Ma gets home, she won't be as mad. You can borrow my clothes. I won't look." He turned and stood in a corner, waiting for his sister to say she was finished._

_Lei nodded and went over to the dresser. She pulled out some fresh clothes and went into the closet to get changed. Once changed into a loose pair of shorts and a vest, she exited the closet. "I'm changed, Alan…" She went over to the bed and sat back down after throwing her dirty clothes into his laundry basket._

_He nodded and turned. He quickly went over to the closet and got changed as well, and then joined his sister on the bed. They both started working on their homework._

_It wasn't long before the silver she-cub yawned and leaned against her twin. Her eyelids drooped and she slowly drifted off to sleep. _

_Al looked at his younger sister and smiled. He leaned his head against hers and continued to work, allowing his sister to sleep. "Stupid Travis," he muttered. "Making my sister scared. I'll kick his butt one day, and then Lei won't have to be so afraid." Truth was, Lei wasn't afraid of what Travis could do to her—it was Al that was afraid. He didn't know exactly what his "uncle" wanted with his sister, but he knew it wasn't good._

_A knock on the door interrupted his work. He looked up, horrified. "Oh, Ursute… Not now…" He glanced at his sister, knowing that he had to wake her up._

_Travis knocked again and pushed on the door slightly. "You bettah notta b'ocked da door. Gonna make t'ings wo'se!"_

_Al hurriedly shook his sister awake. "Lei, get up and hide in the bathroom," he whispered, talking about the bathroom between their rooms. There was a door inside leading to her room, but it had been jammed for quite a while. Their father had been meaning to fix it, but never got around to it._

_Lei blinked sleepily before sitting straight up. She frowned. "Al, let me he-"_

_"Get in there!" he whispered hotly._

_She glared at him before going into the other room and shutting the door. Unfortunately, she couldn't lock it, since the lock had been broken for about two weeks—another one of their father's to-do projects._

_"I didn't, _**Uncle**_!" Al called, putting emphasis on the word. He was trying to remind the moron of the "relationship" they shared. "It's probably jammed!" He knew he was going to pay dearly for his lie._

_Travis jiggled the door handle a bit more, then gave it a big shove. The rolling chair couldn't take it anymore and crashed to the floor. The large black bear entered the room, madder than a hornet. He turned his head and spotted Al sitting on the bed. Without waiting another second, he went over to him, picked the young male up by the front of his vest and hauled him to his feet. "Ya lil shit. T'yin' ta keep me out!" he snarled, his snout incredibly close to Al's._

_"Probably because your breath reeks!" the cub replied without thinking._

_Amber eyes narrowing, Travis dropped the eleven-year-old to the ground and gave him a swift kick to the ribs._

_All air rushed out of the gray cub's body, leaving him gasping for air as pain radiated from his ribs. He bit his bottom lip to keep from screaming._

_"Where's yer sister, huh?"_

_Alan didn't respond._

_The black bear kicked the cub again, causing Al to roll over on his stomach, and knelt down, digging his knee into the gray cub's back, between the shoulder blades. He twisted one of Al's arms behind his back. "I said, where's yer purdy sister?" he growled. _

_"N-None of y-your b-b-business!" he cried out before clenching his teeth, fighting the pain. It was getting harder and harder to breathe._

_Travis didn't believe him at all as he continued to twist the cub's arm._

_Inside the bathroom, Lei whimpered loudly. Being twins, she had a mental link with her brother. She couldn't read his thoughts, only his feelings, and right now, they were filled with pain. "Ally," she said softly._

_Travis, having rather good hearing, turned his head and looked towards the door at the foot of Al's bed. The door was open a crack and he could see blue eyes staring at him. "There you are…" He got up off of Al, gave him one more kick to make sure he stayed down, and made his way over to the door. He pulled it open and stared at the startled she-cub with a grin. "Hello, purdy gurl…"_

_Lei knew she trapped with nowhere to go. _

_"DON'T TOUCH HER!" Al growled loudly. He struggled to sit up on his knees, wrapping his arms tightly around his torso. His right arm ached. "Leave her alone!" Slowly, he got to his feet and put his paw on the bed for support. "Ahh!"_

_His twin looked at her brother, terrified. "Ally, stop. I-I'll be fi-fine… I can t-take care of my-myself…" she whispered. _

_"I'm sure you can…" Travis replied as he continued walking towards her, causing her to back further into the bathroom. The older bear quickly disappeared from Al's view._

_A moment later, Lei whimpered._

_Al growled and struggled to the bathroom. His eyes narrowed dangerously when he saw the black bear's paw on his sister's cheek. "I said don't touch her, you creep!" he snarled. Using a strength he didn't know he had, he pushed the older bear into the bathtub. "Get out of here, Lei!"_

_Lei nodded and scrambled out of the bathroom. She reached the middle of Al's room before stopping and turning around. She didn't know if she should go back into the bathroom and rescue her brother or not._

_Meanwhile, Travis caught himself before falling completely into the tub and quickly got back up. He almost grabbed Lei as she ran past him, but Al's paw on his wrist stopped him. Angrily, he backhanded the cub, grabbed Al's arm and twisted it around his back. He shoved the gray cub's face against the mirror, watching as it shattered._

_Al let out a pained cry as the broken glass cut his snout and forehead._

_Seeing her brother in distress was enough to send Lei over the edge. She ran back into the smaller room and leapt onto her "uncle's" back, wrapping her arms around his neck. Her teeth sank into his ear._

_Travis let go of Al and tried to get the crazy she-cub off of him. "Ya crazy bitch!"_

_"Don't call her that!" Al growled, furious. He proceeded to trip the older bear as Travis attempted to run out of the room with Lei still on his back. Travis fell forward, taking Lei with him. Al leapt over the duo, grabbed his sister's arm, and pulled her away, leading her out of the room. "You are crazy, you know!"_

_"I wasn't going to let him hurt you anymore!" she cried._

_Behind them, they heard Travis give an angry snarl. "I'ma gonna kill ya, ya lil jackass!"_

_The twins almost made it to the front door, but two paws grabbed their ears—Al's left ear, and Lei's right one—causing them to stop with pained cries._

_Al, whimpering, turned around and kicked the older bear in the shin. He put his paws around Travis' wrist, trying to get him to let go. "Let go!"_

_Travis retaliated by twisting Al's ear, nearly ripping it off, before throwing the younger male against the wall hard enough to stun him. He then fell to one knee, his shin aching. _

_Lei was pulled down with him, causing her to cry out._

_As soon as he was able to, Travis got back up and dragged Lei by the ear—ignoring her pained shrieks and struggles—down the hallway, disappearing into a bedroom._

_Al grasped his throbbing head. His vision went dark for a few moments before clearing and he forced himself to get up. He staggered to the bedroom, nearly collapsing a few times, but pushed on. He had to rescue his sister. "Lei! Fight back!" he called, finally reaching the doorway. He looked into the room, and the first thing he noticed was Lei's shorts were on the floor. His eyes traveled to the bed, revealing a startling sight._

_Lei was fighting back, but Travis had her pinned on the bed, his pelvis pressed against hers. Tears streaked her cheeks as she struggled to get away. "ALAN!"_

_The gray cub, moving on adrenaline, began charging against the older black bear. "LEAVE HER ALONE!"_

_Travis turned his head and spotted the younger male. He quickly scrambled off the female and tackled Al to the ground, once again knocking the wind out of the cub. Standing, he looked down on him. He didn't speak, but raised his leg and brought it down on Al's shin. An audible snap echoed through the room._

_Al screamed, tears stinging his eyes._

_Lei could feel his pain, and it overwhelmed her. However, she managed to fight it as she stood up._

_The black bear got down on his knee, tightly gripping Al's snout, silencing his screams. "Now, here's how things are gonna work. You're going to be a good, quiet little boy while your sister and I have a nice time on the bed," he chuckled darkly._

_Lei slowly crept towards the attacker._

_Al struggled in Travis' grip, trying to get his snout free so he could bite the monster's paw. He knew Lei was trying to sneak up on Travis, so he was trying to buy time._

_Travis refused to let go for a few moments, digging his claws into Al's fur and flesh. He turned his head to see if the she-cub was on the bed, only to find her about to pounce on him._

_Lei slammed her fist against his snout, using all her strength—which wasn't much. "You monster! Leave my brother alone!"_

_After getting over his shock, Travis didn't waste any time in overpowering her. He pinned her to the ground next to her brother. "Now yer brother can see our fun!" he cackled, pressing his pelvis against hers, slowly rubbing. He lifted his hips, posing to take away her innocence. However, before he did, he pressed his lips against hers. _

_"You bastard!" Al shouted, furious that his sister's first kiss had been stolen from her by this wretched monster. He used his arms to shove Travis, unbalancing him. He then, fighting the pain radiating from his leg, sat up and leaned over his twin, protecting her._

_Lei clung to him, curling up into a ball by his side. She just wanted this nightmare to end._

_Snarling, Travis began to attack them again, only to stop when the doorbell rang._

_All three blinked, not expecting the sound. _

_Travis acted quickly. He gripped both of their snouts—he had to pull Lei's face away from her twin's chest—and glared at them. "Not a word unless you _**do**_ want me to get in bed with your sister," he told Al. "You had an accident. You were wrestling with your sister." He then looked at Lei. "As for you… Get dressed. If you blow the whistle, I'll break your brother's other leg so he won't be able to protect you anymore."_

_Lei glanced at her twin for a moment before nodding. It was the same routine every time the monster came over._

_The black bear let go of her, allowing her to get up and pull her shorts on. He then glared at Al. "Remember what I said."_

_Al glared at him angrily, but nodded._

_Travis let go of his snout and went to answer the door._

_Lei, now fully clothed, kneeled by her brother and gently ran her paws up and down his leg. Already, it was beginning to swell. She turned her head and looked at him. "You're going to be okay, Alan," she whispered. _

_The injured cub grabbed her shoulder and pulled her in for a quick hug. Releasing her, he brushed a tear from her eye with his thumb, being careful not to claw her. "You should go to my room. I have a bat somewhere in my closet. _**You're**_ the one in the most danger. I'm not the young pretty girl who can be taken control of."_

_Lei was offended. "No one can control me. He just… surprised me, that's all." She was not happy. "I'm not a coward, Al. I can take care of myself," she growled._

_"I know you're not. That's what's gonna get you hurt! You should have ran! This jerk is drunk and crazy; he can hurt you worst than he can hurt me!" He gripped her paw. "You're a girl… He can… He was about to…" Al couldn't bring himself to say the word. "Go to my room, now!" he whispered angrily._

_His sister glared at him angrily before stomping past him and exiting the room._

_He knew full well that she was furious with him, but he also knew that it was better that she was safe. Groaning, he leaned his head back and closed his eyes. The adrenaline was beginning to wear off; he felt so tired. His body felt so heavy, and the pain from his ribs and leg radiated throughout his body. _

_"See?" Travis said, entering the room. "Wrestling between-" He paused and looked around the room. "Where's yer sister?"_

_"Clean… room…" Al whispered._

_The two cops behind Travis—one bear named Hendrickson, with blue eyes and brown fur; the other, a Caucasian human with brown eyes and black hair named Jackson—looked at the cub on the floor. The bear looked at his partner, and then knelt next to the cub, examining him._

_Hendrickson looked at Travis. "Why were you letting them wrestle?"_

_"Cubs will be cubs. I guess I should have stopped her, but… They don't listen to me, anyway," the black bear replied coolly. He continued sucking on the five peppermints he had stuck in his mouth to cover up the smell of honey. _

_"I would like to talk to the girl. Hendrickson, stay with the boy," Jackson said, leaving the room. Travis quickly followed him._

_The bear cop nodded. "Go right ahead." He looked at Al again. "So, talk to me, kid. What _**really**_ happened?"_

_"We were wrestling," Al replied softly. He just wanted the cop to leave and let him sleep._

_Hendrickson tapped the eleven-year-old's cheek. "C'mon, stay awake."_

**E****N****D F****LASHBAC****K**

That was the last thing Al truly remembered of that night. After that, he could remember the terror radiating from his twin.

What happened after that he had been told later on, when he had been more coherent. Apparently, Travis had attempted to kidnap Lei, and Derek, having seen Lei being led out to Travis' car, had attempted to stop him, only to be grabbed as well.

Around that time, the paramedics had pulled up in the front and entered the house with their medical equipment. Al had barely been conscious at that point, shock taking over. The two cops had gone looking for Al's twin and uncle. They had found Travis kidnapping the she-cub.

A high-speed pursuit took place that ended up with Derek and Lei jumping out of a moving car and Travis smashing head-on with a semi. Travis ended up in the morgue, while Derek and Lei ended up with severe injuries and trapped in comas.

**F****LASHBAC****K**

_Andrew Williams, a black bear with blue eyes, stood tall at six feet, four inches as he entered his son's room. He walked over to the bed and sat on the edge near his son's waist. "Al, why didn't you tell us sooner?" he questioned._

_The eleven-year-old didn't look at him or respond._

_"Alan Albert Williams, talk to me here, boy. Why didn't you tell me or your mother?"_

_Al winced at his full name, not liking it. His parents only called him that when they were angry with him. "He threatened me… He threatened to hurt Lei-Lei… I did my best to… to… t-to keep her s-safe…" He couldn't help the tears that rolled down his cheeks, but he hurriedly wiped them away. _

_Andrew sighed and shook his head. His son could be too strong sometimes, too strong for his own good. But it was only natural. He placed a paw on Al's good leg. "Al, I know you were trying to protect your sister, but this was just too big for you to handle. You have a broken leg, and Alakalei and Derek are both hurt badly." _

_The gray cub bit his bottom lip. "Stupid Derek and his stupid ideas," he muttered angrily. He was positive that it hadn't been his sister's idea to jump out of the moving vehicle. "When can I see her?" he finally asked._

_"You'll be moved to her room in a bit. She should be doing better." He placed a paw on his son's shoulder. "Al, next time something this bad gets out of hand or someone is getting hurt, tell an adult," he said sternly._

_Al nodded and wiped more tears from his eyes. _

.~*~.

_Almost an hour later, Al was moved into his twin's room. As he was wheeled inside, his eyes immediately fell upon the still form of his sister._

_Alexandra Williams, a short white bear with green eyes, stood at five feet, seven inches. Upon seeing her son being wheeled into the room, she immediately left her husband's arms, knelt in front of her cub, and wrapped her arms around him._

_"I'm all right, ma!" Al pouted._

_Andrew chuckled slightly._

_The gray male looked over at his sister and stared. She didn't look as peaceful as she had been hours ago when she fell asleep next to him. Instead, she looked… neutral. Her head had a thick bandage wrapped around it, as did most of her body. Tufts of silver fur poked out from between the bandages._

_ "The doctor would have come in and told you this himself, but we've been rather busy down in the ER," the nurse, a male human, said as he wheeled Al over towards his sister's bed. "He asked me to tell you that we were going to keep Mr. Williams overnight for observation."_

_The parents nodded and the nurse left._

_"Dad… Can… Can you put me in bed next to Alakalei?" Al questioned softly._

_Andrew glanced over at his daughter, then at his son and nodded. With his wife's help, he carefully picked up his cub—being mindful of Al's cast—and set him down on the bed. He knew that later on they would move him into the bed next to hers, but for now… This would work. _

_There was just enough room for both cubs on the large bed—Alexandra moved her daughter over a little. Andrew propped Al's broken leg up with a pillow he took from the other bed, then placed another pillow behind his shoulders and head._

_Al groaned slightly as he settled in before sighing. He fished around for a moment before finding what he was searching for—his sister's paw. He gently squeezed it, hoping to get a response out of her; he couldn't feel anything from her via their mental link, and it made him fearful. The silence was killing him._

_Alexandra placed her paw on her son's free paw. "Everything's going to be okay, Alan. I promise," she said, stroking his cheek with her free paw._

_The gray cub couldn't help himself as tears rolled down his cheeks. "It's my fault. It's all my fault. I should have told you!" he choked out. "I'm sorry!"_

_Andrew also had tears rolling down his cheeks. He stood by his comatose daughter's side of the bed, holding her other paw. He silently begged her to wake, to show off her beautiful blue eyes, to say "I love you" one more time._

_"Baby, it wasn't your fault," Alexandra told her son. "No one blames you."_

_'_I blame me…_' he thought to himself. '_Lei wouldn't be like this if I had protected her better…_' Al tried to connect to his sister's mind, but received nothing. '_Alakalei… Please… Please wake up…_'_

_Still, there was no response._

.~*~.

_Al looked at his sleeping parents for a brief moment, wondering why they had fallen asleep. Didn't they care that Lei still hadn't woken up?! How could they sleep at a time like this?!_

_His eyes fell back on his twin's face. She was so still… It was unnerving. _

_Al had refused and fought against being moved to the other bed, having wanted to stay by his sister. He had won the fight, and remained by her side. _

_"Mmm…"_

_The gray cub blinked. Did he just hear-_

_"Mmm… A-Ally…?"_

_His eyes widened and filled with happy tears. "Alakalei…" he whispered. "You're awake!"_

_Lei slowly lifted her eyelids, revealing her crystal blue eyes. She blinked slowly. Her mouth opened as she whispered something incoherent._

_Al shook his head and frowned. "Lei, you're in the hospital, sis."_

_She groaned again._

_The young male attempted to wake his mother, but she just shook him off, saying "Five more minutes", which made him smile. He once against grabbed his sister's paw and squeezed it again. "Come on, Lei… Wake up…"_

_Lei slowly turned her head and blinked sleepily. "A-Al…ly…?" she whispered, squeezing his paw back._

_Al didn't care that she called him by his hated nickname, and smiled. "I'm here, Lei-Lei. I'm here." He suddenly frowned. "This is my fault… I'm so sorry, Lei…"_

_She looked at him with confusion. "Ne-never… y-yo-your fault…"_

_"Yes, it is!"_

_"I… I s-st-started… it…"_

_"No you didn't! You didn't make him attack us!"_

_She blinked. "I t'rew da p…pa-pata…tos…"_

_Now it was his turn to blink. "Say what? What are you talking about?"_

_Lei didn't reply, her eyes having closed. Her soft snores indicated that she had fallen back asleep. _

_At first, Al frowned, but then gave a small smile. His sister's face had returned to being peaceful. He leaned over and nuzzled her head before yawning as well. He wrapped one of his arms around her shoulder—he lifted her head first—and pulled her closer so that her head was resting on his shoulder. "I promise to protect you," he whispered. "Even if I'm hurt, as long as you're not… Even in the future if I'm old and slow… I'll protect you." For some reason, his thoughts focused on Derek and what Lei had said about him earlier. She had said he was cute, but Al wasn't sure if she was being serious or not. Either way, he was going to keep an eye on the panda cub._

_Finally, Al's mind shut down and he fell into the darkness he had been avoiding._

**E****N****D F****LASHBAC****K**

Alan "Big Al" Williams sighed. His sister never remembered what had taken place that day, but the memory had forever been scarred into his mind. Seeing his sister so defenseless when Travis had tried to rape her… It still gave him nightmares.

He couldn't stop the yawn he gave. For now, he was going to try and get some sleep. Hopefully, no more memories would haunt his dreams… His dreams of seeing his long-lost twin again.


	17. Chapter Sixteen

.~*Chapter Sixteen*~.

The flowers fell out of his paw as he stared at the scene in front of him. His eyes were fixated on the couch, where Jewel, the she-cub he loved, was handcuffed to the armrests, completely nude. He could see the tears streaking her face, as well as her shallow breath as the red liquid, her **_blood_**, slowly drained from her body due to the multiple wounds. Soft whines and whimpers escaped her lips as she weakly tried to pull away from her bonds.

"No… Not you…" Beary whispered. He knew exactly what had happened—what that monster, Thrasher, had done to her. He had **_touched_** her. He had frickin **_touched_** her! "Not you…" He took two steps forward into the cabin before making a full-blown dash for the couch and Jewel. Immediately, he gripped her wrists, trying to free her.

Jewel, meanwhile, gave him one look and let out a terrified scream. She tried to pull away, desperate to get away from the male. The cuffs dug into her skin, injuring her further, but she didn't care. "No! No more!" she screeched.

He ignored her screams as he tried to pull the cuffs apart. Failing, he got up and ran out to the shed, looking for some kind of bolt cutters.

"Whoa, kid!" Derek shouted, drying off his paws after washing them thoroughly in the sink, as he was nearly bowled over by the frantic cub. He had just returned with the other elk, which he had cut up and stored in the freezer. It had only taken him about half an hour to walk back to the clearing where the cabin was located; it had taken him an hour to track down the injured elk and kill it, and then it took him another thirty minutes to clean it up and debone it before he could pack it in the meat sacks and carry them back.

"S'ow down!" he complained, grabbing Beary by the shoulders.

"Where's the bolt cutters?!" Beary shouted, pulling out of his grip.

The panda blinked. "Uh…" He turned and grabbed them off the rack next to the freezer. "Hew…" When the twelve-year-old took off at a rapid pace towards the cabin, Derek blinked. Something was wrong.

Hurriedly, he took off after the cub. When he entered the cabin, he couldn't believe what he was seeing and smelling. The scent of blood and sex was overwhelming. He turned his head quickly, looking for his mate. "Alakalei?!"

A weak cry, barely heard over Jewel's weak screams and Beary's swearing, was heard in response.

He followed the sound and found his love handcuffed to the bed, the clothes stripped from her body and her legs spread apart.

Lei slowly lifted her head and looked at him. "G-Gotta… s-save… J-Jewel…" she whispered hoarsely. She pulled at the cuffs, trying to free herself.

"Shh. I get ya f'ee," Derek replied, running out of the room and down the hallway to Beary, who had successfully cut the handcuffs' chains and freed Jewel—who he was now holding in his arms. The bolt cutters were lying on the floor and the panda quickly picked them up. Returning to the bedroom, he snapped the handcuffs' chains with the cutters and helped Lei sit up. He pulled her onto his lap and held her against his chest.

The silver she-bear trembled and clutched his chest fur tightly with one of her paws. She tried to whisper what had happened, but Derek wouldn't hear it as he gently rocked her side to side. "It's ovah… It's ovah…" he whispered, doing his best to not cry. He couldn't believe what had happened. Thrasher had gone too far this time.

The slamming of the front door made Derek look up and growl. Had the bastard that had done this returned?

Slowly, he got up and walked over to the doorway with Lei still in his arms. He pricked his ears, listening for Thrasher's voice, but heard nothing except for Jewel's pained moans.

"Derek… We have to help her… She's b-badly hurt," Lei said, looking at him.

He nodded and carried her over to the couch, carefully setting her down. He looked around, wondering where his male charge had gone.

.~*The Country Bears*~.

Beary stalked through the trees, hatred in his eyes. He held the large knife in his paws as he silently followed the tracks. He was going to kill him. He was going to kill that bastard for what he had done to his Jewel.

Up ahead, he could hear voices. Quickly, he hid behind a nearby tree, watching the duo, which had stopped and were now talking.

"I hope yer happy," Thrasher growled, looking at the human. He brushed the silver and gold fur off out of his own fur. The females' scent remained and he was disgusted by their stench.

The human scratched his chin. "Shoulda let me join you. I would have loved to give that little slut a try. After all, she is cute, for a bear." He chuckled darkly. "Always wondered what it would be like."

"Yer sick."

"So are you."

The brown bear rolled his eyes and looked around. He sniffed the air and grinned. "Come on out, my pet," he called playfully.

Beary stiffened slightly and raised the knife up to his chest. Taking a deep breath, he stepped out from behind the tree and glared at the large brown bear with hatred in his eyes. "Bastard."

Thrasher raises and eyebrow. "Of course. I was bred into this operation. Therefore, I **_am_** a bastard."

The human leaned against the tree and sighed, watching the scene unfold.

"You touched her. You frickin **_touched_** her, you son of a bitch!"

"And she was very good, too. Better than I expected. I may just have to go back and have another round with her…" He knew full well that his lie would drive the young male crazy. Besides, he had more fun with the silver she-bear instead of the golden she-cub.

Beary snarled and bared his teeth. He tried to control his anger, but was failing miserably. He wanted nothing more than to beat the living daylights out of the monster for what he had done.

"She screamed the entire time… Must've been because she liked the way I-" He didn't get a chance to finish before the cub attacked.

With a yell, Beary leapt at the much taller, heavier, and stronger bear, holding the knife above him.

Thrasher quickly dodged the attack and, to add further insult to injury, he stuck his foot out and tripped the cub. Once Beary hit the ground, the brown bear moved quickly and sat on top of him, holding him against the ground. He pried the blade out of the cub's paw and grinned, ignoring the cub's struggles.

He flipped the knife a few times before stabbing it into the ground about a foot away. He then pressed his paws down on Beary's shoulders and raised his lower body just enough for him to flip the cub over onto his back before he sat back down on top of him, burying his pelvis into the twelve-year-old's lap. He held Beary's arms apart and leaned forward, playfully nipping the side of the younger bear's neck. He grinned when Beary's teeth sank into his ear. "Playful, are we?" he questioned softly, yanking his head away from the light brown cub's white face. He didn't notice the pain as his ear was cut due to the teeth.

Instead of answering, Beary spat in his face and struggled some more. He was furious that he had been caught by the pervert.

"Now, that's not very nice. One would think that ya didn't like me."

"I fuggin' hate you, you son of a bitch!"

"Yer voice says that, but yer eyes… Such beautiful eyes…"

Beary was used to the older bear saying stuff like that—he had the entire time they had been "together"—but it still disgusted him. "Go to Hell." He closed his eyes, not allowing the monster to see his "beautiful" eyes. He had a feeling that if Thrasher did not need him so badly for breeding, he probably would take his eyes right from his head.

He felt the bear's tongue on his cheek, causing him to tremble slightly. He was not about to let Thrasher's plan happen, so as quickly as he could, he turned his head and caught the brown bear's tongue with his teeth. Sure, it disgusted him to no end, but he didn't want to listen to the bastard's voice any longer as he dug his teeth in tighter.

Thrasher let out an angry cry and removed his paws from Beary's arms and pressed them against the cub's neck. "'et 'o!" he growled, doing his best to cut off enough air to cause the cub to open his mouth and gasp for air, thus removing the teeth from Thrasher's tongue.

The plan backfired as Beary brought his own paws up and wrapped his own fingers around Thrasher's neck, digging his thumbs in against his throat. He did remove his teeth from the brown bear's tongue, however, and was disgusted with what he had done. He had finally let the bastard into his mouth, something he had been avoiding for the past few months, but knew it was the only way he could get a little revenge.

Josh Thimple watched the two bears duel as they rolled around, trying to break the other's grip on the throat. It was obvious to him who would win the battle. However, that didn't mean he couldn't enjoy it, which only lasted seconds more.

Beary ended up on his back once more, Thrasher's arm pressed against his throat. He weakly struggled to keep his grip on the other bear's neck, but the knife embedded in the ground inches away caught his eye. He knew he would only have one shot at it, so he had to wait for the perfect moment. He also knew that he was going to have to scrub his mouth with a high-powered toothpaste and toothbrush for what he was about to do. "T-Take… m-me…" he whispered.

Thrasher blinked, wondering just what the cub was trying to pull. He loosened his grip just a little so that young male could speak.

"I… I'll g-give… myself to you… Be… Be your toy…"

"On what condition?" He knew full well that the boy wasn't going to hand his body over without getting something in return.

Beary licked his lips, knowing he had to say this carefully. "Let… Let Jewel, Derek, and Lei go f-free… and… you… you can have me…"

Instead of waiting for Thrasher's answer, Josh walked over and kicked the twelve-year-old's skull. "Shut up, dumbass. It's never going to happen."

"I can make my **_own_** descisions," Thrasher growled. He looked down at his boy-toy, who was now trembling slightly due to his now bruised head. "I don't believe ya."

Beary knew he was never going to forget what he was about to do, but couldn't waste another second. He reached up, wrapping his arms around the older bear's neck and pulled him down, letting their lips meet. He immediately deepened the kiss, sucking on Thrasher's lips.

The older male blinked several times as he was being kissed. He hadn't expected this at all. Something was off. The boy had come here with rage and intent to kill… and now he was kissing him? What the hell? It didn't make any sense. He was planning something—that was for sure. Annoyed, he pulled away and smacked the cub's snout. "I don't want yer mouth, ya lil' bitch. I want yer body. Give me that, and… Fine. I'll let them go free. They can stay here and I won't visit again."

"You can't do that!" Josh snarled, furious.

Thrasher gave him a look that said he was lying to the cub. He turned his head and sniffed Beary's neck, burying his nose in the semi-coarse fur. He took in the cub's scent, which was made of pine and sweat, and nipped his neck for a moment before turning his head and looking at Josh. "Leave."

The human glared at the brown bear and then looked at the younger bear that was trembling with fear. He looked back up at the older male. "You teach him a lesson."

"I plan to," the grizzly replied.

Not being able to stand another second of the nonsense, Josh left the scene. No sooner had he left the circle of trees that had surrounded them did he hear a soft whimper and the sounds of clothes being torn from a body. As he continued walking, he heard loud growls and grunts coming from the older bear, and the whimpers and whines of the younger bear.

For some reason, he felt a stab of pity for Beary. He didn't know why. It felt so weird. As quickly as the feeling came, it left. He shook it off and stopped about thirty feet away from the duo and leaned against a tree. He continued listening to the sounds, enjoying every second of the cub's pain. He wasn't turned on by the sounds, though. Not by a long shot. He was more annoyed. That little brat was getting what he deserved.

A second later, a pained screech filled the air. "YA LITTLE SHIT!" A lot more cussing, screeching, and whining followed the statement.

Josh turned and began running back to the scene, only to come across something he had never seen before.

Thrasher was kneeling on the ground, holding his groin, which was bleeding heavily. In front of him, lying on his side with his bleeding head on a tree root, was the still form of Beary Barrington Taylor.

"What the hell happened?"

Instead of answering, Thrasher pulled something away from his private region, letting the silver and red coloring of the knife flash in the sunlight. His arms trembled violently, the pain radiating from his crotch was practically unbearable. "I'm… I'm g-g-gonna k-kill ya!" he shouted as he ran the blade through the non-responsive cub's thigh. He pulled the blade out and was about to drive it into his shoulder when a black paw gripped his wrist tightly.

Derek's blue eyes were full of rage and hatred as his claws dug into the grizzly's skin. "Ya son of a bitch. Ya gawddamn son of a bitch!" With strength he rarely showed, he dragged the grizzly away from the cub and swung him against a nearby tree. He had never been more angry before in his life than he had been when he found out that the grizzly hadn't just raped Lei, but Jewel, too. It had been one thing to rape an adult, and another thing completely to rape a child.

His fist connected with Thrasher's jaw and his foot with the grizzly's rib. He was prepared to kill.

It didn't take long for Thrasher to weakly throw out a punch, the pain from his severe injury making him pitiable against the panda's attacks.

Josh, seeing that the grizzly was losing, leaned over, pulled up his pant leg, and grabbed the gun out of the holder strapped to his ankle. Standing, he walked over to Beary, knowing he was no match for the three hundred, fifty pound bear, and grabbed the barely one hundred, fifty pound cub. He wrapped his arm around the twelve-year-old's neck and stuffed the gun in Beary's fuzzy ear. "Let him go or the brat dies!"

Derek slowly turned his head and looked at the human. "Who da 'ell are ya?"

"Doesn't matter. Let him go or the kid takes a bullet."

The panda looked at the unconscious cub and then back at the grizzly that was at his mercy. He wanted nothing more than to beat the living crap out of the guy for everything he had ever done to him and Lei, but was it worth Beary's life? Could he truly sacrifice someone else's life for his own revenge?

No. He could not do that to the cub. It would not be right or fair. And, judging by where Thrasher was bleeding, it looked as if Beary had gotten him good with the kitchen knife he had taken from the cabin. That would teach the monster to not rape anyone else. Hell, he probably would never be able to rape anyone again!

Giving the grizzly one last punch, he turned around and looked at the human. "'et 'im go." He could see the blood soaking Beary's fur on his thigh and knew that he had to get him back to Lei as quickly as possible.

"Hm… I don't think so. He and I have an old score to settle."

Derek eyed the gun, trying to decide what to do.

"Let him go," Thrasher growled weakly from behind Derek. "We'll be back for that little shit. They won't get away."

Josh thought for a minute, knowing he would not be able to take on the panda—or Thrasher—if he killed the cub. Carelessly, he let go of Beary's neck, letting the cub fall back against the tree root, before kicking him in the ribs. He then began walking towards Thrasher; Derek did the same, walking towards the cub. The two enemies met in the middle and glared angrily at each other.

They were both around the same height, but definitely not the same weight. They bumped shoulders and continued walking towards their designated targets.

As soon as Derek passed by the human, he ran towards the fallen cub. Without even bothering to check him over, he grabbed a nearby piece of clothing, wrapped it around the bleeding thigh—then did the same with his head—and picked up the cub, cradling him in his arms. He did not bother to see how the human and the grizzly were getting away; instead, he sprinted back in the direction of the cabin.

.~*The Country Bears*~.

Lei finished stitching up the deepest and longest of Jewel's injuries, a laceration created by Thrasher's long, deep claws across her chest. By far, it had been the one that had bled the most. "Shh, you're going to be okay," she whispered soothingly. Her body was still aching and bleeding from the grizzly's attack, but she knew that taking care of the younger female was more important. After all, she had a much longer life to live. Lei probably only had about another twenty years, if that.

Jewel's arms were both outstretched—it hurt too much to move them against her sides—and her paws clenched tightly. Her arms also were covered in numerous cuts from Thrasher's claws, but the injuries were not as severe as those on her torso. Tears rolled down the cub's cheeks as she stared up at the ceiling. She could not believe this had happened. What would Beary think? Would he want her anymore? Judging by the way he had left her, it was obvious. "He… He h-h-hates m-me…" she whispered.

"Nonsense. He loves you, Jewel," Lei replied, tying off the last stitch on her chest wound.

"I'm n-n-nothing m-more th-than a w-w-worthless p-piece of sh-"

"Now stop it! Thrasher did the same thing to me and for a whole hell of a lot longer! I let him so he would leave you alone! So stop your whining and get on with your life!"

The golden cub blinked several times. She had not expected Lei to yell at her. Instead of making any kind of reply, she turned her head and looked away. There was one question burning in her mind, but she was too afraid of the answer to ask.

She was afraid of the possibility of Thrasher getting her pregnant.

The silver she-bear rolled her eyes and checked the bandages on the rest of Jewel's wounds before looking at her own. After making sure that her injuries weren't life threatening, she leaned against the couch for a moment before reaching over onto the other couch and grabbed the blankets Beary had left there this morning. She covering Jewel's naked body with one, and then did the same to herself. She would have gotten them clothes, but at the moment, she was in too much pain to move.

She looked up at the ceiling and sighed. She knew she shouldn't have yelled at the already emotionally-unstable cub, but at the moment, she didn't care. '_Derek, where are you?_' she wondered. She was terrified of being left alone in the cabin with the cub. What if Thrasher returned? Would she be able to stop him again? Why had Beary left? He wasn't stupid enough to go after the grizzly, was he?

A sudden pounding at the locked front door caused her to jump a foot in the air and for Jewel to let out a terrified scream.

"Alakalei!"

Lei turned her head quickly when she heard her mate's voice. Could it really be him?

"Lei-Lei, o'en da door!" Derek's voice was full of sheer panic.

"Derek…" she whispered softly. As carefully as she could, she got up—ignoring the pain—and moved towards the door. Slowly, she unlocked it and breathed a sigh of relief as she opened it and saw Derek standing in the doorway. That sigh was cut off when she saw who was carrying in his arms. "What on Earth happened?!"

He pushed past her without answer and laid the cub down on the floor in front of Jewel, who had turned her head and looked at the doorway when Derek had announced himself. After a moment, he finally spoke. "He wen' ta git reve'ge."

Lei did not need to hear any more as she ordered Derek to continue putting pressure on Beary's thigh while she grabbed fresh medical supplies. She just hoped to whatever Ursute was out there that the cub's artery hadn't been punctured. If it had…

Beary would be dead within moments.

She worked quickly and carefully, knowing she had a limited time. As soon as she started examining the deep cut, she knew that the artery hadn't been cut and that thankfully, the wound wasn't as bad as she had originally feared, and the bleeding soon stopped. She finished checking over the wound and stitched it up. It was all she could do with the supplies she had. She wanted nothing more than to get him checked out in a real hospital, but considering their situation and what Thrasher would do if he found out… It wasn't worth it.

As soon as she finished with the stitching, she went over to the medical cabinet and grabbed a syringe and a small, liquid medicine bottle. She filled the syringe with the liquid and gave the cub a tetnus shot. Grabbing a clean needle, she did the same to Jewel, and then to herself—after grabbing a new needle, of course.

However, now there was the question of why he was unconscious.

"I t'ink he 'it 'is 'ead," Derek stated.

Lei nodded and began carefully examining Beary's head, lightly touching and probing the skin and fur. It was only after she touched his ear that she realized that blood was slowly seeping out of it. Her eyes widened slightly and she continued examining him. Every moment she spent examining him, the feeling in the pit of her stomach grew worse. She could feel a large bump on the side of his head, just behind the right ear. She looked over at Derek, horrified. "D-Derek… We… We need to go down the mountain."

The panda looked at his mate as if she had grown a second head. "Ya c'azy? T'ashah wou'd 'ill us!"

"And the boy **_will_** die if we don't!"

"Huh?"

"Right now… He either has a concussion or a skull fracture. He's bleeding from his ears, and I can see a little dripping out of his nose, but not as much. I can't tell how severe it is here. If it is a skull fracture… It could kill him, depending on how severe and what kind of fracture it is."

Derek looked down at the injured cub, then back at Lei, sparing a quick glance at Jewel. "Are… Ya posi'ive?"

Lei nodded.

He sighed and walked into their bedroom. He returned a moment later, carrying a radio. "We'll go do'n da moun'ain and 'adio fo a coptah when we git fa 'nough 'way f'om da cabin." He stuck the radio in his vest pocket. "I'll go git dem some c'othes." He quickly scrambled up the stairs to the loft.

Lei, meanwhile, looked at Jewel. "Come on. You're gonna have to get up."

"Hurts."

"I know it hurts, but you're going to have to come with us. We're not leaving you here alone."

Jewel trembled. She did **_not_** want to be left alone, especially after what had happened. Slowly, with Lei's help, she sat up, wincing and hissing violently. Her shoulders hurt horribly, but she fought past it. She swung her legs over the side of the couch and looked at Beary.

"He went after T-Thrasher," Lei whispered. "The fool…"

"Why?"

"Ta git 'venge," Derek replied as he walked back into the room. He tossed a pair of clothes at the she-cub, then another pair at Lei. After that, he got down on his knees and, with his mate's help, dressed Beary.

When Lei and Jewel, both wearing skirts and vests—pants hurt too much—and Beary, now sporting a pair of loose shorts and a vest, were finally ready, Derek picked up Beary piggyback style. "'et's go," he said softly.

The two females nodded and followed him out the door.

_.~*~._

They were about two miles away from the cabin, in a large open clearing, when Derek called for them all to halt. He handed the radio over to Lei.

After a few minutes of attempting contact, Lei finally reached the operators of 911. She told them that they needed an emergency helicopter, Beary's injuries, and that they had no other way down the mountain. After receiving confirmation, she sighed and walked over to Derek.

Derek gently lowered Beary to the ground, being mindful of his injuries. He noticed that Jewel was sitting away from the group, leaning against a tree. Frowning, he called out to her. "Why don' cha c'me ovah 'ere and-"

"No."

He blinked. "Why nawt?"

The she-cub didn't reply.

"Damn it, kid! C'mere and be wit' 'im! He needs ya 'ight now!"

Jewel looked at him, surprised that he was yelling at her. He would be the third adult who had yelled at her today. Her ears flattened and slowly, she got up and walked over towards Beary. She fell heavily to her knees, her legs giving out beneath her, beside him. She refused to look at his face. "He doesn't need me… I'm not worth it…" Her golden-brown hair fell past her nose; months of not cutting it had made it much longer and messier. She had so many split ends, it wasn't even funny. Her fur, too, had become messy and dulled, no longer the beautiful golden color she had loved.

Derek glanced at his mate sadly. He wrapped an arm around her shoulder and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek.

Lei leaned against her beloved and sighed. "Jewel… What happened wasn't your fault… Why do you think he went after that bastard?! He **_loves_** you, Jewel! Now stop acting like a baby and love him back like I know you do!"

"Lei-Lei…"

"Shut up, Derek. She's acting like a depressed brat and she doesn't need to. I know that what happened was horrible, but she needs to get over it! Beary needs her right now! She has to be strong for him!"

The she-cub blinked several times and stared at the ground. She knew full well that she was pathetic and that she should be focused on her injured friend, but… Jewel shook her head, trying to clear it. Lei was right. Beary had done all this for her; it was high time she took care of him, especially after how she had treated him earlier. "S-Sorry… I…"

"Don't apologize to us. Beary's the one who you need to apologize to."

"He can't hear me, so what's the point? Just leave me alo-" Her forest green eyes widened. In front of her, Beary's entire body was twitching.

Lei immediately shot up and knelt on the opposite side of Jewel. "Jewel, put his head on your lap. That's safer than leaving it on the ground, especially with his injury."

Jewel nodded, switched positions, and lifted Beary's head onto her legs. She loosely put each paw on the sides of his face, holding him in place as he continued to shake.

Derek held down the male's right arm and leg while Lei did the same with the left side. "We need to get him medicine," she muttered.

"No shit, Sherlock," Jewel growled.

"You should wash mouth with soap, young lady."

"Bite me."

"Don't tempt me," the she-bear growled under her breath.

Derek was confused. One moment, Jewel was all whiney and depressed, and the next she was all high and mighty with a serious attitude problem. Just what the hell was going on?! She-bears were so difficult to understand.

Beary's shaking didn't last much longer; in fact, it ended a few moments later. By that time, they could hear the loud roar of the helicopter.

Jewel gently stroked Beary's face. What was wrong with her? Why were her emotions so… mixed? One moment she was depressed, the next she was angered, and now she was acting loving? Perhaps it was because of all that had happened today and she was slowly letting everything out. She wasn't sure. She felt so weird…

Lei looked at the she-cub for a moment, studying her. She could tell that Jewel was agitated and confused, and if she looked closely, she could see that the golden female's fur was slowly becoming wet from sweat. The she-bear reached across the unconscious cub and grabbed Jewel's wrist, checking her pulse.

Jewel was beginning to tremble slightly and her breathing had quickened. Lei knew she was slipping into shock—she was surprised that it had taken this long to happen. She knew that Beary was in the same condition.

The helicopter began its descent—Lei hurriedly covered Beary's body with hers, Derek did the same to Jewel, so that neither cub would be harmed by the flying debris.

Unfortunately, the panda had been too late as a rock flew through the air, having been picked up by the strong wind, and crashed against the she-cub's chest. The rock wasn't huge, but it was jagged enough—and aimed just right—to slice across Jewel's chest.

The she-cub fell back into Derek's arms, who then protected her body with his own.

Jewel felt so dizzy and nauseous. The loud roar that filled the air fueled her confusion. Where was it coming from? What was going on? Another question suddenly filled her mind: Why was her chest all wet and warm?

"Yer gonna be okay," a voice whispered.

She tried to look at whoever was talking to her, but everything was spinning around. Her body felt so weird…

"Shit! Her stitches ripped!"

That was the last thing Jewel remembered before she fell into darkness.

.~*The Country Bears*~.

Derek kept his head facing towards the ground as he sat in the hospital waiting room. He had never been more uncomfortable than he was at the moment; he could feel eyes watching him. Without turning his head, he looked around nervously. '_Lei… Where are you? Hurry up and get back here!_' he mentally pleaded as he twiddled his thumbs.

His mate had wandered off only five minutes before, saying that she was going to go clean up in the bathroom, but Derek still worried. What if she had been caught? What if they were coming for him next?

For the next thirty minutes, he waited. Sweat had matted his fur together in clumps. His beloved had yet to return. With each passing moment, he was filled with even more terror. He hated sitting here, waiting for something to happen.

A touch on his shoulder caused him to jump a foot in the air. He turned his head, looking at whoever had touched him with wide, fearful eyes.

"Der, sorry. I didn't mean to scare you," Lei whispered as she sat down beside him, wrapping an arm around his shoulders.

He pulled her in for a tight hug. "Don' do dat 'gain," he whispered.

The silver she-bear blinked, surprised by the intensity of the hug. However, she returned the hug.

"Ware were ya?" the panda questioned softly, releasing her. He pushed a strand of her long silver/black hair out of her face. By then, there weren't nearly as many people in the waiting room as before.

"I was… exploring…" It was true. This was the first time she had been to the city in fifty years. The rest of the time, she had either been in the "base" or up at the cabin—there was a tunnel that ran about halfway up the mountain, to the large clearing two miles away from the cabin. She had always been jealous that Derek had been to the city a few times.

"Ya sh-shoodn' do dat wit'out me, Lei-Lei," Derek replied.

"I can take care of myself, you know!"

"I kno dat, baby… I kno… It… It just…" He looked away. He had always tried to hide his emotions, especially around Lei. He didn't want her to think that he was weak.

Lei's angry expression changed to one of confusion. She knew he was holding something back. "Der?" Gently, she placed a paw on his cheek and held his paw with her free one. "Talk to me… What are you so afraid of?" After sixty-one years of knowing each other, she could read him like a book.

"Of… losin' ya…"

"Losing me? What are you talking about?"

He shook his head. "Can't tell ya now." He cleared his throat and ignored her glare. "How are dey?"

She eyed him warily for a moment before sighing. "Be—er, Jake is in surgery. The fracture was worse than I thought. However, he's going to be okay; we got him here in time. As for Gem, she's getting her stitches fixed and receiving blood. She'll be able to leave soon." Lei suddenly blinked. "You know we're going to have to get a hotel room or something while we wait for Be—Jake to recover… We can't go back to the cabin right away…"

Derek nodded. "I… I juzz 'ope… dey don' 'ecognize 'im," he whispered.

Lei also nodded. She knew what Thrasher would do if the cubs were found out—he would hunt them down and kill whoever they were with, just to get them back and to keep them from revealing him. "We should've dyed their fur," she muttered.

"Too 'ate now." He clutched her paw tightly. If they were caught, Lei would probably go free, but he would be tossed in jail.

The she-bear looked at her mate, worried. She knew he was uncomfortable, but she didn't know what she could do about it. He had always been a bit… insecure about some things. He was also uncomfortable being around a lot of people. She grabbed his paw again and pulled him to his feet. "C'mon, my handsome bear. Let's go somewhere you won't so upset." Without waiting for his answer, she pulled him along out of the waiting room…

…Into the waiting arms of a police officer.


	18. Chapter Seventeen

.~*Chapter Seventeen*~.

As Al continued to sleep, his dream continued…

**F****LASHBAC****K**

_It had been a month since Travis' demise. Since then, things had changed in the Williams household. Neither Alakalei nor Alan were allowed to stay home alone, or with another relative/friend of Alexandra and Andrew until they [the relative/friend] had been thoroughly checked out._

_With their parents practically babying them, tensions were running high between the twins. Lei would continue to say that none of it—whatever it was that she couldn't remember—was Al's fault, and Al would argue otherwise. Not only that, but Al finally lost it when his sister called him by his hated nickname of "Ally" once again…_

_"I'm sick of you calling me "Ally"! It's a stupid nickname! My name is _**AlAN** _or _**AL**_!" the eleven-year-old male growled. He and Lei were in the living room of their two-story home, sitting on the couch. Al's broken leg was resting on a footrest, and Lei's arm was still in a sling._

_"And I'm sick of you calling me weak and making me sound like a coward! I don't _**want**_ to be protected, _**Ally**_! I don't want you protecting me! I'm eleven, for Pete's sake! Stop treating me like a baby!" his twin sister snarled back._

_"Oh, wow. We turn eleven and you suddenly want to be taken seriously?" Al scoffed, rolling his eyes. "Eleven isn't even that old! I'm the brother! I'm the strongest! I'm the best! So I have to be the more responsible one! AND STOP WITH THAT STUPID NAME!"_

_"Just because you're a male doesn't mean you're stronger! I could kick your butt if I wanted too! And why the heck do you think I call you "Ally"? It's because you're _**like**_ a girl!" Okay, so that part was totally a lie, but she wasn't going to correct herself._

_"Yeah right. I kick _**your**_ butt all the damn time! You run like a girl, throw like a girl, and fight like a girl. Why? Because you are a girl! You should just go back to playing with dolls!" He turned his upper body and crossed his arms._

_Lei blinked. "I have never played with dolls! I've played with my little friends!" She smirked. "You're the one who plays with dolls, Ally." She held up one of his dolls, which was really a military action figure._

_"THAT'S NOT A DOLL!" Al snatched his toy from her. "It's an _**action figure**_! So much more dangerous than a doll, and way cooler! But what would you know? You're just a little weak _**girl**_!" He stood up, grabbed his crutches, and began to walk towards the hallway. "And it's _**AL**_!"_

_Her brother had only been hinting at the fact that she was weak, but to hear him outright say it made her see red. Without realizing what she was doing, she pushed him to the ground. "I _**hate **_you, Alan!" She had tears streaking down her cheeks as she ran past his fallen body and out of the house._

_Al lay on his stomach, stunned at what his sister had said and done. Did she really hate him? Well, she did push him… If she hated him, then he hated her!_

_He frowned and got up, his leg throbbing slightly, not to mention the itch was back. '_Stupid cast_,' he thought to himself. As carefully as he could, he got up—using the couch for support—grabbed his crutches, and marched to his room, slamming his door. "I HATE YOU, TOO!" he yelled at the door._

_He knew that his parents would be furious when they came back inside—they had been outside talking to a neighbor about a missing dog; they had probably seen Lei storm past._

_The gray cub shrugged and lay upon his bed, seriously annoyed. He didn't even notice when his crutches crashed to the floor as he stared at the ceiling, thinking horrible thoughts about his sister. "I wish I didn't have a sister," he muttered quietly to himself, grabbing one of the nearby pillows and covering his face with it._

**~Time Skip~**

_Three hours later, Lei still hadn't come back—not that Al noticed. He had fallen asleep after the fight, and had only just recently woken up at the usual dinner time._

_He wandered out into the dining room, where he found his parents quietly talking in the doorway. He knew they were talking about the fight he had had with his sister, judging by the glances he received every now and again. '_Who cares about Lei. I hate her_,' he once again thought to himself as he went over to his chair. He looked at the table, surprised that there wasn't any food on it. "Uh… Ma? Where's the food?"_

_Alexandraandra looked at her son wearily. "Your sister is missing, and you're worried about food?" her tone was disapproving._

_Al's eyes widened slightly at the words "sister is missing", his heart racing slightly. They didn't know where she was?! _

_Andrew noticed the panicked look on his son's face and frowned. "I'm sure she's at Derek's. She was heading in that direction, anyway. I'll go give his parents a call." With that, Andrew left mother and son in the room alone._

_Alexandraandra sat down next to her son, trying to remain calm. "How's your le-"_

_"I'm fine," the cub growled, annoyed. He grabbed one of the _Coca-Cola's_ from the middle of the table and popped the lid off, taking a swig._

_"Don't speak to me like that, Alan!"_

_Al sighed and apologized to his mother. "Lei _**is**_ at Derek's. Nowhere else to vent out to but her best friend…" He gave a small frown at the thought. Derek was supposed to be _**his**_ best friend, not Lei's._

_"He's right. She's there," Andrew said, coming into the room._

_Alexandra gave out a relieved sigh before frowning. "It isn't good for her to be hanging out with him…" She said this because of the fact that the panda was a male, and Lei was reaching that age where she could get her heart broken. She glanced at her husband, silently sending a message. She then looked back at her son. "You stay by your sister whenever she visits any of her… male friends… got it?" It was not that she didn't trust her daughter, but the fact that Lei was getting older and would soon start developing feelings._

_Andrew cleared his throat, his face slightly flushed. He couldn't think of his baby girl become so mature._

_Al nodded, finding this arrangement quite fair, not to mention good revenge for his sister. "Okay, Ma. Would you like me to go get her?"_

_The she-bear thought about it for a moment before nodding. "Take your wheelchair. I don't want you using that leg, got it? Especially after your fall earlier. And your father will go with you. You tell her to get home this instant for dinner."_

_Al nodded and waited for his father to bring his wheelchair over before climbing into it, leaving his crutches by the dining room table._

.~*~.

_Al spotted his sister and supposedly best friend sitting on the porch swing outside the panda's house. Derek had his arms around Lei, trying to calm her down. The gray cub silently growled, furious at the sight. He couldn't believe what he was seeing. As he and his father drew closer, Al could hear what Lei was crying about._

_"He c-called me we-weak! I… I'm not weak!" the she-cub whimpered._

_"Shh, I know, Lei-Lei. I know… I don't think he meant it…" Derek replied, gently rubbing her back._

_Al flinched at the nickname "Lei-Lei". Derek had always called her that, but now it was bugging Al horribly._

_"Alakalei, are you okay?" Andrew spoke up as he wheeled his son up to the porch. "Did you get lost?"_

_Al couldn't believe his father just asked that. Did Lei get lost? Uh, yeah, sure. They had been living in this neighborhood for the past eleven years. Pretty sure they knew the layout pretty well. He didn't voice his thoughts, though._

_Andrew walked up onto the porch, leaving Al on the sidewalk._

_Lei hurriedly wiped her eyes. "I didn't get lost… I just wanted to get away from…" She sniffled and glared at her brother, her eyes full of anger._

_Derek gently squeezed his friend's shoulder, then glared at Al. "You're so mean! Lei's not weak! She's way stronger than you!"_

_"Der, don't. It's not his fault he's a butthead. Oh, wait. Yeah it is."_

_Andrew was shocked at his daughter's attitude. "Alakalei, that's mean. Don't you go calling your brother names," he said sternly._

_Al, however, growled. "Stay out of this, Derek!" He turned his sights on his sister. "And you're just being a brat like all little girls are!"_

_"You leave Derek alone!" Lei snarled._

_"At least I wasn't mistaken as a girl when I was born, _**Ally**_!" Derek smirked. Lei, too, gave a small smirk of satisfaction._

_Al's left eye twitched with anger. "YOU'RE NOT SUPPOSED TO TELL ANYONE THAT! AND STAY OUT OF THIS, DEREK! THIS IS BETWEEN ME AND MY SISTER! YOU'RE JUST HER STUPID GIRLY CRUSH!"_

_Lei's eyes widened to infinite proportions. She couldn't believe Al had just said that._

_The panda cub blinked and glanced at Lei, then at Al, then back at Lei. "Huh?"_

_The silver she-cub's eyes filled with tears. She had never been more humiliated in her life. She pushed away from Derek and ran past her father and brother, heading down the street towards their house._

_"She has a crush on me? Gross! She's my friend! How could she be anything else?" Derek was totally grossed out, yet at the same time, rather thrilled._

_Al shook his head at his fellow eleven-year-old's naiveness. It was like Al was the only one who was mature enough to understand things. "You're such a dork, Derek. Listen, we're just having a fight. It'll pass. She's just… I dunno…" He glared at his friend. "And don't butt in next time!" He began to wheel himself away._

_Andrew blinked several times, wondering how he had lost control of the situation. He glanced down at the panda. "You better get inside." He then quickly followed his son and proceeded to wheel him on home. He knew that Al was troubled and acting like a bully. "Alan, you should apologize to your sister."_

_"What? Why me?! She's the one being emotional!"_

_"Alan! That's not nice! Your sister is fine, and I want you to apologize."_

_Al rolled his eyes and sighed._

_They reached the house after about five minutes, their journey having been made in silence. Andrew went to open the front door, and blinked when he realized it was locked._

_"Don't you have the keys, Pops?"_

_Andrew facepalmed, realizing he had forgotten them inside. He knocked on the door. "Lei-Lei? Alexandra! Open the door!"_

_There was no answer for five minutes, but finally Alexandra unlocked and opened the door, standing in the doorway with her paws on her hips. "Okay, what happened? What did you do to upset my baby girl?! She's locked herself in her room and won't let me inside!" Her tone was soft, but her eyes hard—not a good sign; meant that she was _**furious**_._

_The black bear looked at his son, unsure how to explain what happened. _

_Al sighed again and glared up at the sky, as if to blame the clouds for his problems. He looked at his mother. "Lei and I are fighting… We could've forgotten about it in a few days! But nooo! She has to run to her "best friend"," he mocks the term, "and tell him my stupid… secret… You know… how the stupid doctors said I was a… girl…"_

_Alexandra raised an eyebrow. "That's all?"_

_"Yeah, pretty much! Now, I'm gonna go to my room, like you let her! I don't care!" The cub then proceeded to wheel himself inside and towards his room door._

_Andrew glanced at his wife. "Those are definitely your cubs," he grinned, putting his paws in his pockets and walking towards the kitchen._

_Alexandra followed him and smacked him upside the head. "They're your cubs, too." She glared at him for a moment before sighing. "I'll take Alan. You talk to Alakelei." Without waiting for his answer, she walked over to Al's door and knocked before entering—Al's lock was still broken._

_Alan was sitting on his bed, scribbling doodles of buildings. He had quite an interest in architecture. He looked up at his mom, and then looked back at his sketch pad. Stupid lock. Stupid Travis. "I'm fine, Ma…"_

_"Uh-huh. Yeah, right." She shut the door behind her and sat towards the foot of his bed. "Alan, how did all this start? Why were you fighting to begin with? Normally, you two are inseparable. What happened? Is it a full moon tonight? Talk to me, baby…"_

_The gray cub twisted the pencil in his paw for a moment, thinking. "She's too hardheaded, Ma. She thinks she can take on everything! But she can't! She's not as strong as me, and yet she thinks she's freakin WonderBear!"_

_The polar bear raised an eyebrow and smirked. "WonderBear? Interesting name." She sighed. "Al, you know she has… special needs… It's not her fault. Most kids like her are afraid of what they are… If it wasn't for the fact that you both complained so much, she would have gone to another school. Sometimes… she just doesn't know when to stop." Alexandra was referring to the fact that her daughter was born with a higher IQ than normal. Her son was also smart, but not as smart as his twin._

_Al rolled his eyes. Once again, Lei's brains were being rubbed in his face. "I know! But it doesn't mean she can just go and beat up a guy cause I'm in trouble. When I… er… "had the accident"-" he was referring to what happened with Travis, "-I told her to get a bat and run. She can't just do that… I'm the man. I should be the one protecting _**her**_, not the other way around." Al knew he was a bit of a sexist, but oh well. He was the man, he had to be the strongest._

_"Just because she's a girl doesn't mean she can't be strong. Just like because you're a male doesn't automatically mean that you have to be the strongest. It doesn't make you weak if she helps you, Alan. She loves you. You're her twin, her other half. It was only natural that she wanted to help you. It's good that you want to protect her, but sometimes you have to let her grow."_

_The cub pouted, but nodded. "But that doesn't mean she can tell my stupid secrets to Derek! I was so mad she told him about it that I told him about her crush on him… Don't tell her I told you, too!" He went back to his doodles. "I'll apologize later. Not now. I wanna let this cool down." _

_She blinked. "Well, I agree that they're stupid secrets, and I'm sorry she told Derek. However, you shouldn't blame her for everything. You were at fault here, too. As for her having a crush on the boy…" She didn't want her baby girl to face heartache so early in life, so she does the only thing she can think of. "I want you to keep them apart."_

_Al smirked and nodded. "As you wish," he said slyly. "I'm fine now, for sure this time. Thanks, Ma."_

_"We'll keep this between us." She kissed his forehead. "Now, I'm gonna go finish making dinner."_

**E****N****D F****LASHBAC****K**

To this day, Al couldn't recall what happened after that last moment between him and his mother. The next thing he remembered was waking up in the hospital with severe smoke inhalation and some minor burns.

Only moments after he had awoken in that hospital, he had been told by his Aunt Evelyn and Uncle Charles Hathworth that the rest of his family was dead, as was Derek's family. That he was alone in this world.

That his wish about not having a sister had come true.

He had lived in utter regret ever since.

.~*The Country Bears*~.

Roxi took a deep breath as she unbuckled. She and Dex had just arrived at _Olive Garden_ after her doctor's appointment. They had finally decided to visit the doctor, and he had confirmed her pregnancy. She twiddled her thumbs nervously.

Dex unbuckled his own seatbelt, getting out of the car. The doctor had confirmed Roxi's pregnancy, and he didn't know what to think. He was scared, that was for sure. What if he couldn't care for the baby? What if he was a bad father? He could not think like that. Not right now. He ran a hand through his hair, knocking out the small snowflakes that were falling into it. He pulled open Roxi's door, offering his hand to help her out.

His girlfriend looked up at him and took his hand, standing up. "Thanks," she whispered. Playfully she reached out and brushed a few more flakes out of his hair. "Better get inside before you turn into Jack Frost, my smexy-Dexy." She gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. She was so excited at the moment, yet at the same time she was so nervous. Was she truly ready to be a mother? Was Dex ready to be a father? Were they going to be able to properly provide for their child? Their child… It had a nice ring to it, in her opinion.

Dex gave a slightly forced, good-natured chuckle. "All right, let's get some food. I'm hungry." He laced their fingers together and closes the car door before walking toward the restaurant.

Feeling his hand in hers made her smile. Teasingly, she poked him in the stomach. "That's right. Gotta feed the growing boy. Gotta make him nice and strong for his new role as a daddy."

"…Yeah." He forced a smile and put a hand over Roxi's stomach for a brief moment before removing it. He just didn't feel comfortable with the whole thing. "Though, I don't think I have much growing left to do, unless you want me to get fat." He leaned over and pecked her on the cheek before opening the door to the restaurant.

"You? Fat?" She giggled. "I can't see that ever happening." She walks into the restaurant and takes a deep breath, enjoying the smell of food. "Mmm… That smells so good." She went over to the hostess and requested a table for two. She was told that the wait was an hour. Roxi went back to her fiancé, who had gotten stuck holding the door open for the large party that had followed them in. She then leaned against the wall since there was no chair available.

Dex let the door close after all the people went through. "An hour? Okay… At least we don't have anything else to do tonight." He smiled and leaned against the wall next to her.

"Oh, I don't know about that…" She leaned over and whispered something dirty in his ear.

The blush that covered his face made him look like a tomato with blue eyes. "I meant… plans with people…" He swallowed, not sure if they should "fool around" with Roxi pregnant.

"Haha. I knew what you meant, Dex. I just love how cute you look when you blush." She pinched his cheek.

He scowled and pulled away, sticking his tongue out at her. "Yeah, yeah." He watched as a group was called to be shown to their table, leaving two chairs empty. "Let's sit down. You'll be more comfortable that way." He didn't want her to get too tired from standing for a long time.

She raised an eyebrow and followed him over to the chairs. "I'd be more comfortable curled up in bed with you, ya know." She smirked. "However, hunger must be satisfied."

He sat down and took her hand. "Yeah, I know what you mean," he chuckled.

Twenty-five minutes later, they were still sitting there in silence. Roxi finally decided to speak, since she was tired of the silence. "So, do you think it's going to be a boy or a girl?"

Dex blinked in surprise. "Uh, I… I don't know. I haven't really thought about it, I guess… Either one is okay with me." He smiled somewhat nervously.

"Mmm… Okay then… How about a name?"

"A name? Shouldn't we find out what gender the baby is first…?" He ran a hand through his hair again.

"Better to be prepared, you know. Means we choose either one. If a boy, I think Dexter Jr."

He bit his lip. "Uh… maybe. Wouldn't it get confusing if we had the same name? I've always thought the "junior" thing was so lame…"

"If you say so… Ah-ha! I know. Let's play the name game. You have to come up with two names, both male and female, starting with a certain letter in the alphabet, in order. I'll start." She thought for a moment. "Anabella and Adrian."

"Uh… Belle and Brian."

"Courtney and Christopher."

"Delilah and Denver."

And so they passed the next ten minutes, coming up with random names for each letter of the alphabet. "Thomas and Tempest," Roxi went on.

"Uriel and Ursula."

Roxi blinked. "The name of the witch in "The Little Mermaid"?"

"…Yeah…" He shrugged. "What else starts with U?"

"Anyway, V… Hm… Vienna and… Vesper?"

"William and Wendy."

"Xander and… um… Gah. I got noth—Wait! Xena!"

"Warrior princess?" He smirked, amused. "Yancy and Yasmine."

"Zachery and Zelda." She gagged. "Gah. We are not using that one."

"Which one?"

"Zelda. Yik."

"You don't want our baby to be from a video game? We could even buy her a Link plush," he replied jokingly.

Roxi smacked his arm playfully. "Dex! No!"

He chuckled. "All right, all right." He looked up as they were called. "Come on, chow time." He stood and offered his hand to help her up.

She gave a mini-cheer. "Food!" she said louder than she meant to. She immediately blushed. "Oops."

Dex laughed. "Come on, hun. Let's go, if you're so excited about it."

They followed their hostess to the table, and Dex pulled out the chair for Roxi.

"Such a gentleman. I've tamed you well, wild boy," she smiled.

"I didn't need taming," he replied, sitting across from her. He thanked the waiter for the menu and told him that he'll have a water to drink.

Roxi, meanwhile, ordered chocolate milk. She then looked at her fiancé. "Uh-huh. You were a wild thing before I got to you, babe. Always a loner and hanging out with your laptop. Makes me wonder what you were looking at." She knew full well that he was usually practicing his hacking skills.

"You knew what I was doing," he answered, sticking his tongue out at her. "What are you going to eat?" he questioned, flipping through menu.

"Hm…" She looked at the menu. "Well, first a salad and breadsticks, then the Chicken Alfredo. Mmm-mmm. And to top it off, a piece of chocolate cake."

"I think I'll have the Chicken Parmasean."

"Hm… Perhaps. Not as good as my Alfredo, though." She chuckled. At that moment, the waiter returned with their drinks. Roxi immediately grabbed hers and took a sip. When she put the cup down, she didn't notice the milk mustache.

"Lovely mustache, Rox." Dex smirked and gestured to his own lip, showing her what she did.

Roxi's eyes widened and she immediately grabbed a napkin—forgetting the silverware that was on it—and hurriedly wiped her mouth.

The loud clatter of the silverware echoed throughout the restaurant, and startled the waiter, causing him to drop Dex's drink, spilling it all over the table.

"Shit!" Roxi exclaimed, horrified and thoroughly embarrassed.

Dex's eyes widened, and he immediately picked up the fallen cup. "It's okay, Rox." He looked at the waiter. "Sorry…"

Roxi refused to meet Dex's eyes as their table was cleaned.

After everything was cleaned and the salad and breadsticks arrived, he smiled at Roxi reassuringly. "It doesn't matter, Rox. Anybody could've done it."

She still didn't look up and refused to speak, for fear of crying. However, she knew full well that if she didn't get out of there, away from the scornful eyes, then she would end up crying anyway. "I… I have to use the restroom." Her voiced trembled as she spoke. Hurriedly, she got up, grabbed her purse, and walked towards the restrooms. She just hoped that Dex hadn't seen her tears.

Dex blinked. "Okay…" he mumbed, not sure how to react. He picked up his fork, and ate his salad slowly, picking at a breadstick as well as he waited for her to return.

After fifteen minutes, Roxi still hadn't returned, which either meant that she had a really full bladder, or something was wrong. And, considering that they were in witness protection, something very well could have gone wrong.

The young male tapped his fingers uneasily on the table as scenarios passed through his mind, each worse than the other. What if something horrible had happened? He never would be able to forgive himself if he lost her… or their child. He was just about to get up and head towards the bathrooms when he felt a hand on his shoulder.

.~*The Country Bears*~.

_Allison stood between the two caskets, one oak and the other cedar. A red rose bouquet donned the oak coffin, while a white rose bouquet lay upon the cedar. There was a picture frame on both caskets, one showing a picture of an eighteen-year-old human, and the other an image of a twelve-year-old bear cub. In the images, they were smiling and their eyes full of joy. It severely contraindicated the mood in the room._

_Behind her, she could hear Jewel's soft wails as she cried against her father's chest. She wanted to comfort her, but… She just didn't have the strength to do so. She looked around at the somber faces, not looking into anyone's eyes._

_ Both her babies… Both of them were gone. How could they both be gone? It felt like just yesterday that she was holding them in her arms… and now she would never be able to hold them again. Never be able to caress their cheeks or ruffle their hair…_

_It took all her strength to not break down in tears, to hold them in as her shoulders shook violently. She placed her hand on one of the caskets, the oak one with the picture of Dex, her lips trembling. "Oh, Dexter… My little boy…" She couldn't say anymore._

_Her mind drifted back into the past as she remembered her feelings when she first held him after he had entered the world, to his first steps, his first word—"_Beary_", the name he had given his teddy bear—the fist time he got in trouble when he drew on the kitchen wall with permanent marker… his first day of school…_

_She looked over at the cedar casket and all she had to do was think Beary's name… and she totally lost it._

Tears streamed down the sleeping female's cheeks, unbeknownst to her husband, who was caught up in his own dream…

_"Pass the gravy, will you, Dex?" Norbert asked his son._

_"Sure, Dad," the teenager replied, passing the bowl over to his father. _

_"Beary? Would you like some?" Allison questioned, looking at her adopted bear cub._

_"Hm…" Beary looked at his fish and mashed potatoes before nodding. "Yes, please!" He held his plate out to her, letting her put some gravy on his potatoes. The gravy spilled over onto his fish, causing him to grin. Surprisingly, fish and gravy went well together, at least in his opinion._

_"How was school today, boys?" the father asked after everyone had filled their plates. _

_"Boring," Dex replied at the same time as Beary, who said, "Fun."_

_Allison blinked and looked between her two sons, then at Norbert._

_"Why was your day boring, Dex?"_

_"Nothing happened… Well, there was this assembly, but nothing important," the spiky haired teen answered, taking a bite of his potatoes._

_"And, Beary…?"_

_"Well… Jewel and I participated in a food fight, we played dodgeball in PE, sang some songs in music, baked cupcakes…" Beary took a bite of his fish, swallowed, and looked at the rest of his family with a small smile. _

_Norbert smiled back at him and looked at his wife. "How was work?"_

_"It was fine. I'm going to be a bit busy over the next few days. I have a big order to fill," the baker replied. _

_He gave her a small nod, then went on to tell about his day, which—in his opinion—was great. He made three sales today…_

Norbert smiled in his sleep. In his opinion, everything was going to be okay.


	19. Chapter Eighteen

.~*Chapter Eighteen*~.

Derek's eyes widened to considerable proportions as he looked at the human cop, who was much taller than him. Standing next to him was an even larger brown bear, also a cop. Derek had never felt so small…

Next to him, Lei clutched his paw. She couldn't believe they had been caught so easily.

To their surprise, the two cops apologized and walked around them, heading for another person in the waiting room. Apparently, they were there because of an accident.

Lei turned her head and looked at her mate, whose eyes were still wide with terror. She knew she had to get him out of here before he had a panic attack. She pulled him outside into the chilly air and sat him on a bench. "Calm down, Der. Shh…" she whispered as she sat down next to him. "I never should have left you in there alone."

"I-I'm f-fine." He was lying through his teeth.

"No, you're not. We've been in… "captivity"… for the past five decades… It's only natural that-"

"I'm nawt sca'ed! I… I juzz… uncomfo'table."

The silver she-bear looked at him, unconvinced. "You've been in the city before… When you were with that-"

Derek's head turned so fast that his neck cracked. "Don'cha da'e! I to'd ya! It waz a miz'ake!"

Alakalei was taken aback. She hadn't expected him to snap at her like that. However, his reaction did please her. It meant that he truly was sorry for what he had done all those years ago. "I'm sorry, Der. I didn't mean to bring that up."

"Sowi fo snappin'. Didn' mean ta." He sighed and glanced around. His eyes widened slightly. All around them, on the front lawn in front of the large medical building, were pine trees. Each tree had decorations and colorful garland. "Lei-Lei…"

"Hm?" That's when the she-bear finally glanced around. It had been a long time since she had seen Christmas trees. Her head spun around as she took in the festive decorations that decked the streets and buildings. It had been so long since she had seen any holiday decorations… She looked down the street at the bank and watched the sign as it flashed the date. "December 12th?" she whispered, surprised. "Has it really been that long…?" She looked up at the sky. "It's gonna snow soon…"

"We gotta git bac' up zee mountain 'fore it does."

Lei turned her body and placed her paw on his leg. "Der, I want to give the cubs something…"

"Lei-Lei, dat ain't gonna 'appen. We don' even got money…"

"Not gifts, but… I want to do **_something_** for them…" Her ears perked up. "We can take them home!"

He squeezed her paw and shook his head. "He'll go afta dem. Ya know dat."

The she-bear sighed and looked at the ground.

Derek touched her cheek. "Ya git checked out?" he asked softly after a few minutes.

Lei didn't meet his eyes. She couldn't. She had tried so hard to not think about what had happened mere hours ago at their cabin, but now all the memories were coming back to her.

**F****LASHBAC****K**

_Thrasher dragged her down the hallway towards her bedroom, leaving the bruised and bleeding she-cub handcuffed to the couch. Jewel's weak cries pulled at her heartstrings. She wanted nothing more than to comfort the young bear, but she knew that since she had volunteered herself in Jewel's place, that wasn't going to happen any time soon._

_As she was thrown onto the bed, she couldn't help but whimper when Thrasher handcuffed her to the metal bedpost. He used his brute strength and ripped the clothes from her body, dropping them on the floor. His fingers began traveling slowly over her, as if he was a curious child with a new toy. He touched, prodded, poked, rubbed, and stroked. He tussled her long silver hair, twisting it in his fingers. He brought his lips to her ear and whispered dirty things, telling her exactly what he was going to do to her, and then do to Jewel when he was done._

_Lei couldn't believe it. The bastard had lied to her. She had done _**nothing**_ to protect the she-cub._

_The bed shifted as he climbed on top of her, sitting on her stomach—Lei knew he was going to draw out her torture for as long as he possibly could—and leaned forward, bringing his teeth to her neck. He growled and raked his claws down her chest, drawing blood. Lei closed her eyes and bit her bottom lip to keep from crying out as he continued cutting her body with his sharp claws. His teeth moved from her neck to her chest as he continued biting her torso. _

_Suddenly, he stopped and shifted positions. His claws dug into her thighs as he began to spread her legs apart…_

_The next thing she remembered was Derek freeing her and holding her in his arms. _

**E****N****D F****LASHBAC****K**

Tears flowed from her eyes. She swallowed hard, her breath catching in her throat and coming out as ragged gasps. She wrapped her arms around herself, lifting her legs onto the bench. She couldn't stop the shaking, just like she couldn't stop the tears pouring out of her eyes. Everything was ruined. She had been taken from Derek in the cruelest way. She was no longer pure for him.

Derek touched her shoulder, trying to get her to respond to him, but to no avail. His emotions were on the fritz as he watched his beloved breakdown. He had no idea what he was supposed to do. All he had asked was if she had gotten checked out or not; he hadn't expected her to start crying. "Lei-Lei…" He pulled her into his arms, trying to calm her down. It had been so many years since he had seen her cry.

To his surprise, the she-bear pulled out of his arms and got up. She refused to look at him as she took off.

The panda's eyes widened. "Lei!" he called as he gave chase. "Alakalei, 'top!" He had no idea what was going on with his love. He had never seen her like this before. He followed her down the streets, around the corners, and down the alleyways. The sounds of the city disappeared as the duo passed through the metal gates into the grassy fields. Large stones were randomly scattered on the grounds.

It briefly registered in Derek's mind that they were in a cemetery. "LEI!" he cried, grabbing her arm. He pulled her into his arms, holding her against him. His claws dug into her head and he held her in place. "Shh…"

"Do you mind? This is a cemetery. You don't need to be so loud. It's disrespectful."

The panda refused to answer as he tried to calm down his wailing mate.

"Hey! I said be quiet!"

Annoyed, Derek turned his head in order to shout at the she-bear that was bothering him, only to freeze.

He was staring into the face of his mother.

.~*The Country Bears*~.

The young brunette nurse quietly checked the golden she-cub's charts. "Hm… Gem Hart, age twelve… A healthy two hundred pounds at four feet, eleven inches… No allergies… In here after being sexually assaulted…" the human muttered. She looked up at the she-cub. "Poor dear." She set the chart back down on the front of the bed, and then moved over to the other side of the curtain that separated the siblings.

"Jacob Hart, age twelve. One hundred ten pounds at five feet? That's not healthy… No allergies… In here after being assaulted and receiving surgery to fix a skull fracture as well as patching up the injury to his leg…" She looked up at the cub's bandaged head, then back at the chart. "Lots of old scars covering his back, as well as a burn in the shape of a cat-of-nine-tails whip…"

Wait…

Jasmine Ledger blinked and looked closely at the young male's face. "I know you…" Quickly, after making sure that everything was all right, she left the room, heading for the nurses' station. She immediately hopped on the computer and pulled up a search engine on the internet. She thought for a moment before typing in, SALT LAKE CITY KIDNAPPING, SEPTEMBER 24th, 2004.

Immediately, several articles popped up. She scanned through the list for a brief second before choosing the first one, which looked the most promising.

"Jasmine! What are you doing?! You know you're not supposed to be on the computers after what happened last time!"

The brunette just about fell off her stool as she was rebuked by the head nurse. "But, Ms. McCall-" she tried to explain, but was interrupted.

"Now, get off! We don't need another "accident"," the blonde nurse ordered.

"Yes, Ms. McCall." Jasmine knew better than to argue with her superior, so she did as told. Truth was, she really _didn't_ want another accident, like the one that accidently shut down all the computers at the hospital. She hurriedly exited out of the webpage before it had even fully loaded and walked away. She would have to look it up when she got home… Unless… She looked around for a moment before pulling out her cell phone.

"You better put that away before I take it from you," Nurse McCall told her. "You can text your boyfriend later."

"But…" She sighed and placed it back in her pocket. "Yes, Ms. McCall." Pouting, she went about her rounds.

_.~*~._

**COUNTRY BEAR KIDNAPPING!**

**CUBS OF THE FAMOUS BAND GO MISSING**

_Beary Barrington-Taylor and Jewel O'Neal disappeared after their hotel caught on fire. Ten perished in the fire, three of them youths._

_The two cubs were in Salt Lake City for the wedding of Jewel's parents, Tennessee and Trixie O'Neal. All of the **Country Bears** were _

That's all Jasmine cared to read. She was more interested in the two pictures of the missing twelve-year-olds that were pictured to the side of the article. One featured a golden she-cub with golden-red hair and forest green eyes; the other pictured a male cub with light brown fur, a white face, and hazel eyes.

"I knew it," she muttered to herself. "Gem and Jacob Hart are none other than Beary Taylor and Jewel O'Neal..." She did another search, this time looking up for any reward she would get for information on the two cubs. She knew giving the authorities the information for free was the right thing to do, but… There was this new pair of Stilletos she wanted…

At the bottom of the article was the hotline number for information, followed by something that said **REWARD****_: $10,000, as offered by the families of the missing_****_. _**

Jasmine's eyes immediately lit up at the thought of the money, but she couldn't help that think that since she **_found_** the missing cubs, that she should get **_quadruple_** that amount.

.~*The Country Bears*~.

Derek blinked several times, not sure of what he was seeing. Standing before him was Anne Claybourne, his mother. Strangely, though, she looked younger than he did.

He didn't hear Lei crying as he continued holding her; he was too lost in his mother's eyes…

Derek let out a pained shout as his eyes began burning. The she-bear had pepper-sprayed him. "Bla't it, woman!" he growled, rubbing his eyes.

"Derek! Calm down!" Lei took immediate action, coming to her senses at her mate's cries of pain. "Don't rub it," she scolded. "It'll only make it worse." She grabbed his paws, holding them away from his face. She turned and glared at the she-bear. "You didn't have to do that, you know!" Her eyes widened slightly, and she glanced between the two pandas.

Faye was a lovely panda with soft and plushy body made for cuddling—much like Derek's. Her eyes were a soft gray surrounded by the black ovals that made her a panda. Long black hair, mixed with some silver, reached down past her shoulders, and was gently wisped about by the wind. She wore a simple green shirt, with an open red jacket, and a pair of blue jeans. Hanging from her shoulder was a small black purse.

Derek, on the other hand, had a thin, muscle-y body not made for cuddling, even though a long time ago it had been. His black and white fur was turning gray with age, though you could only see the silver hairs in his black fur. His eyes were a lovely shade of teal that stood out against the black ovals. The hair on his head was white and pulled back in a pony tail. He wore just a plain tan vest over a red and black plaid shirt, but no pants.

"He was creeping me out, so he deserved it," the she-panda muttered. After a moment, she sighed and pulled a water bottle out of her purse. She didn't like seeing people in pain. "Here, wash his eyes out."

The silver she-bear blinked and took the bottle from the panda. She then quickly set about washing out her husband's eyes. "Thanks, Ms…?"

"Tality. Faye Tality."

A small smile creeped up Lei's face at the name. She couldn't help it; it was humorous. "I'm Lei. Alakalei Williams-Claybourne. This is my mate Derek Hudson Claybourne."

Faye studied the couple, curious. She couldn't understand why they seemed so familiar. "I'm sorry, but… You seem rather familiar… Tell me, have you ever been to Salt Lake City before?"

Derek nodded. His eyes still stung, but not as bad as before. He didn't speak, though, knowing that his speech was horrible.

Lei squeezed his paw and answered. "Yes, we used to live in the city, back when we were cubs. Now we live on the mountain." Her eyes widened. She knew she shouldn't have said that.

Faye didn't seem to notice her fellow she-bear's mistake. "Really? When you were cubs? When was that?"

"Fifty years ago. We were eleven when we, er, _left_."

The she-panda blinked. "Are you sure? I swear, I know you! Excuse me for asking, but who are your parents? Maybe I, or my parents, know them!" She was determined to solve the mystery.

The silver she-bear's lip trembled slightly. "A-Andrew and Al-Alexander Williams were my parents…"

"A-Anne and R-R-Robe't Claybourne was mine," Derek spoke up.

Faye's eyes couldn't have gotten any wider as she stared at them. It wasn't possible, was it? She thought back to all the newspaper articles she had looked up when she had been trying to find the reason behind the fact that she had been adopted at birth; she had been trying to locate her birth parents to ask them why they hadn't wanted her. After finding some possible answers, she had confronted her adopted parents, who had then confirmed her suspicions. However… "You're supposed to be dead," she said bluntly.

"Excuse me?" Lei questioned, startled.

"None of my birth family is still alive, see?" She gestured at three tombstones she stood next to. "Anne, Robert, and Derek Claybourne are all dead." She looked at Lei. "As for you, you're dead too." She pointed at three tombstones to her right. "Andrew, Alexandra, and Alakalei Williams are dead. What kind of idiot do you think I am? You probably just took those names right off the tombstones! Stealing their identity!" Faye was _furious_. "All six of them died in fires fifty years ago!"

Lei had had enough. "Excuse me, lady, but that's where you are wrong. Derek and I have been in the fuggin' slave trade for the past fifty years! Our parents were **_murdered_** and we were stolen from our homes in the dead of night! We've been living in **_Hell_** ever since then! So don't you **_dare_** go and tell me that I'm not who I say I am!" Her ears lay flat against her head, and her eyes were narrow as she glared at the other bear, her nostrils flaring.

Derek looked from one female to the other, blinking. Lei rarely got this angry, and it was even rarer still that she cussed.

Faye returned the glare, studying Lei's blue-gray eyes. Finally, she nodded and gave a sly grin. "You passed the test."

"I—we… wait. What?"

"If you had _truly_ just taken those names off the tombstones next to me, you wouldn't have known about what really happened to the two cubs that had been kidnapped from their homes fifty years ago. The story was all over the papers. I had to be sure that you were telling the truth." She dug into her bag and pulled out a little envelope, which she then proceeded to open. She grabbed what seemed to be several pictures cut out of a newspaper, and held them up. "These are from the articles."

Derek and Lei were captivated by the images of their eleven-year-old faces. Had they really once been that young?

"I uzzed ta be fat," Derek muttered out of the blue, earning a smack over the head from his wife. "Ow! Hey…"

"You were not. You were plush and cuddly." The silver she-bear smirked, earning an amused glare. "You still are…"

Faye watched them in amusement before becoming serious. "Wait… If you've been up the mountain all this time… Why haven't you ever come down? Why wait fifty years?" Her eyes suddenly widened. "You mean you've been here this entire time?!" she shrieked.

"Ow… no need to yell," Lei muttered. She looked at the ground sadly. "Yes… We've been here the entire time… We… We couldn't come down…" She broke off.

"We woulda been 'unted…" Derek softly put in.

"Then… why come now?" Faye questioned.

The couple looked at each other in horror, realizing they had forgotten the cubs. The longer the cubs stayed in the hospital meant the sooner they would be discovered and returned home, putting them and their family—if they were even still alive—in jeopardy.

"Sorry, Faye. We have to go," Lei said, turning on her heels. Derek quickly followed suit.

The she-panda blinked and gave chase. She grabbed Derek's arm and pulled him to a stop. "I just found a family member… I'm not going to lose them." She pulled him into her arms and refused to let go.

Derek attempted to pull away, but to no avail. He sighed when he realized this was probably the first, and last time, he would ever see his little sister—if that's really who she was—so he decided to return the hug. He had never felt more awkward. He just barely met the person… and now he was being hugged by her? "Um… yeah… Anyway…"

"We really need to go," Lei said, trying to pull her mate out of the female's arms.

Faye, suddenly realizing the awkwardness of the situation, let go of her fellow panda and stared at him. "Sorry…" She glanced at them sadly. "You're not coming back, are you…"

Derek glanced at Lei, then at the she-panda. "I don' know. Someday, maybe…" He turned around to leave, only to have Faye grab his shoulder.

"I want to see you again."

He didn't say anything, but gave her a stiff nod as he and Lei walked away. He just didn't know what to feel about meeting her… No idea at all…

Faye watched them leave with a sad sigh. She just knew she wasn't going to see either of them again.

.~*The Country Bears*~.

Derek cradled Beary in his arms, being mindful of the cub's injuries. He wrapped him in the hospital blanket, keeping the IV bag as steady as he could. Beary's bandaged head rested against the panda's chest and he was softly snoring.

Derek looked across the room at Lei, who was holding Jewel in a similar manner. Lei also had a backpack filled with medical supplies she had "borrowed".

"Let's go before the nurses come back," the silver she-bear whispered.

The panda nodded and they quietly slipped out of the room and went down through the stairwell.

Neither could believe their luck when they had walked into the hospital fifteen minutes earlier. The ER was in utter chaos with patients being brought in by the dozens. Some were from a major car crash, and the others from a gang war. Needless to say, there was no nurse on duty on Beary and Jewel's floor; or if there was one, they were in checking on patients.

"Der… Why can't we just leave them…?"

Derek sighed. "Ya know da ansah to dat."

"It just seems unfair."

"I know."

The rest of the journey down the stairs was made in silence. As soon as they reached the final door, they looked at each other, terrified. How were they going to pull this off? Both adjusted the blankets on the cubs, completely concealing them.

At that moment, the door was pushed and a laundry cart was pushed through, most likely because the ER needed plenty of room. To their surprise, it was half full.

Lei blinked. "We can't seriously be that lucky." She glanced at her mate, knowing he was thinking the same thing.

"I don' t'ust it, Lei-Lei. Let's go down to ta basement pa'kin' and leave."

She sighed and nodded. "That sounds like a plan…"

Derek removed the blanket from Beary's face for a moment to check him over, unaware of the face peering over the railing, watching him with shock.

.~*The Country Bears*~.

Kaspian pulled up outside Taco Johns and sighed as he parked and turned off the engine, gripping the steering wheel while staring straight ahead.

His sister glanced at him out of the corner of her forest green eyes, not speaking as she unbuckled and grabbed her bag—she refused to call it a purse—and made sure her side-arm was secure.

"It seems whenever we get a break, something crops up and leads us on a wild goose chase," the older Hathworth grumbled.

"I know. So many false reports; people wanting that ten thousand dollar reward…"

"You wouldn't think two cubs could vanish into thin air." He turned to look at his baby sister. "I'm at my wit's end."

"It's happened before, remember… fifty years ago. Those cubs were never found, either," Kenya reminded.

"Seems strangely coincidental, that the cases involve people known to each other, in a way...anyway, I'm sure I'll feel a bit better after having something to eat. Let's go inside."

"You read my mind, Kassie," she loved calling him by his hated nickname. "I'm starved. I'll pay?"

"I thought you'd never offer." He got out, closing the door and leaning against the car for a moment before following her inside.

As soon as they reached the counter inside—thankfully the place wasn't as busy as it usually was—she placed her order and waited for her brother to do the same. Once he had, she giggled as he tried to flirt with the handsome male cashier, and burst out laughing when the cashier shot him down.

Flustered, Kaspian picked up their order and led the way to the tables.

"Oh, Kassie. You'll never get a date that way," his sister snickered. "You suck at talking to men."

"And yet I talk to you just fine…"

"Oi! I may be a tomboy, but I'm still a girl," she sniffed. With a sigh, she looked out the window sadly. "It's been how many months now? Three?" She leaned against the window. "What are the chances that they are even alive…? We already know that Beary… Beary's gone, thanks to the seizures…"

The dark furred bear swore under his breath as salsa dripped onto his tie, and he hastily grabbed a napkin to try to clean it off. "I've never come across a case this baffling. I mean, sure in the history of the Bureau, there have been unsolved cases, but I've never been involved in one…"

"You're telling me. My first case and already we've failed. They should have been home months ago…" The light brown female took a bite of her taco salad and picked up a straw. Smirking, she unwrapped it halfway, and then blew through the straw, shooting the wrapper into her brother's open mouth. "Score!" she beamed.

Kaspian spluttered and spat out the paper. "Can't take you anywhere."

His sister gave a cheeky grin. "Come on, admit it. It was a good shot."

He frowned slightly. "Quit mucking around and eat."

"Spoilsport." She munched on her food, taking little more than nibbles at a time. "How… How do you think Uncle Henry's taking this? The loss of Beary, I mean?" she asked softly.

The blue-eyed male exhaled through his nose, the only sign he usually shows when he's frustrated. "I suppose he's taking it the only way he can, just like he did when he thought he'd lost him when he was a child. He's just getting on with what he has to do. But...after already being united once, that's been taken away this time."

"I guess… But he has nothing left, besides you and me. He lost Aunty Helen, and now his only cub." She looked into her brother's eyes. "We failed him, Kaspian, We failed…"

"There was no way that we could have foreseen that he'd be endangered again, we aren't psychic."

"I know, but… We had all this time to find them, and we didn't! Now Jewel's who knows where, doing who knows what…" She clenched her fists, her anger clearly showing—something not often seen.

He reached out and placed his paw on hers, tapping a claw till she meets his eyes. "Nor are we superheroes. Whoever's behind this had a plan, that we don't know, and may never find out."

"I know, I know..." She sighs. "The press isn't helping matters... some of those morons are just plain rude and spread half-truths. It's ridiculous. Kassie, sometimes I just want to deck them. I know I'm liaison and stuff, but dealing with this sort of thing by myself isn't good. Half the time I don't even know what to say to them about how we're handling the case. Yes, there's less questions now since the story is kinda "old news", but still. We just need to find them and end this nightmare..."

"All we can do is hope that whoever took Jewel makes some error in judgement and we can pick up the trail again."

"Yeah…"

Kaspian finished his drink then wiped his mouth and stands. "I'll be a minute. Don't get into any trouble." He gives her a wink before heading to men's room. He came back a few minutes later, holding his phone to his ear. "Right. Got that." He gestured for writing material. "We'll be there as quick as we can."

Kenya quickly grabbed a notepad and a pencil, handing them to her brother. "What's going on, Kassie?"

He scribbled down a couple notes and closed his phone. "You drive, I know you can't read my handwriting." He scooped up his trash and dumped it in the garbage, heading for the car.

She got up and dumped her own garbage, following him out the door while swiping the keys from his outstretched paw. Not waiting for her brother, she got in and started the engine, buckling up. "Let's roll." Pulling out of the parking lot, she listened to her brother's directions. Just to piss off her brother, she made a sharp right turn, knowing he hated her driving. "So, the hospital, eh?" She made a sharp, speedy left turn. "Who wants to bet this is another farce?" She rolled her eyes and braked hard as the light changed to red, causing the car to lurch forward and the brakes to squeal.

Kaspian's claws were embedded in the dash, and it took him a couple moments to free them as he flexed his paws, muttering under his breath. "I swear this is worse than any rollercoaster ever built. Note to self: buy a voice recorder."

"Oh, come on. You know it's fun," she grinned. As soon as the light turned green, she checked the intersection and sped off.

"Which reminds me… I must remember to check into whether it's a federal offence to bribe an examiner so you can pass your driving test," he teased.

"Hey! You know I didn't do that!" She glared at him. "Brat."

"I knew I shouldn't have suggested you drive after just having eaten."

Kenya gave an evil chortle. "Hey, we made great time, admit it." She growled. "Now we just have to find a parking spot." Once she found one, she parked and turned off the engine. "That… was fun. So, why are we at the hospital?

"There was an anonymous call, saying two cubs are here fitting Beary's and Jewel's descriptions." He gets out and looks across the roof of the car at her when she does the same. "We can only hope..." He turned to head inside.

Kenya blinked. "Well, that's obviously a lie. We already know that one of them is dead. But, yes, I know, we check out all tips." Once again, she sighed and muttered, "Didn't even get to finish my shake."

Kaspian walked inside the hospital and crosses the lobby to the reception desk, inquiring after a person by the name of Jasmine.

The young brunette at the desk blinked and looked up. "I'm Jasmine… Can I help you?" She had finally decided to send in her tip, knowing that Stilletos weren't worth the freedom of two innocents.

"We're responding to a tip about two missing cubs," the male went on, glancing at his sister.

"Yes. They're upstairs in the ICU. If you will follow me…" She got out from behind the desk, after asking a friend to take her post for a few minutes, and lead the way to the elevator. However, before she got too far, she was called back by the head nurse, who claimed that she was to stay and help out with the large group of victims coming in—all of whom were gang members. "I'm sorry," she told the FBI agents. "They're on the third floor, room 333."

The siblings entered the elevator, Kaspian pushing the button for the third floor. He then gripped his sister's paw. "Here's hoping." He gave her a reassuring smile.

She looked at him and nodded, not knowing what to say as she squeezed back. She waited anxiously as the elevator rose. "I swear, I'm going to shoot someone is this is another farce."

"That's right, get hauled before a review panel. Just what you need on your first case."

"I know, I know… Maybe I'll just… go to the shooting range and beat ya at aiming practice." The elevator came to a stop and the doors opened. "Let's go."

They exited the metal contraption and started down the hallway, only to be called back when Kenya said he's going the wrong way.

"Come on, Kassie. This way." She spottted a silver she-bear and a panda leaving one of the rooms at the end of the hallway, both carrying what appeared to be dirty blankets. She blinked, but thought nothing of it.

"Nurse's station is over there. We should tell them why we're here, rather than wandering around and scaring folks."

"Yah, right. Good point," Kenya blushed.

"Can I help you?" the male nurse at the station questioned.

"Yes, I'm hoping you can." Kaspian pulled out his badge for the other male to view. "Agents Kaspian and Kenya Hathworth with the FBI. We're here to investigate a report that there are two cubs in care that might be able to help us with an ongoing investigation."

"Hm… We did have two siblings brought in earlier, the Hart cubs. They are right this way." The human male got up and walked down the hall.

"Hart?" Kenya questioned. She looked at her brother, confused.

"We weren't expecting siblings…"

Kenya pulled a picture of Jewel out of her bag. "Is this one of them?"

"Yes, that's Gem Hart."

"And the other "sibling"?"

"Jacob Hart."

Kenya grabbed another picture out of her bag, this one of Beary. "Is this him?"

The nurse nodded. "Yes, that's him. Why? Isn't that their names?"

"We need to see them right away," Kaspian growled. Next to him, his sister nodded.

The nurse led them towards the cubs' room at the end of the hallway.

Kaspian pushed the door open slowly, then thrusted it the full way—the beds were rumpled, but there were no cubs.

"Huh?" Kenya and the nurse both gasped.

"What?! Where are they! They were here, lying in the beds when I left them!" the human complained.

"Get security, and I'll need to use your phone to call for backup," Kaspian went on.

Kenya paid no attention to her brother as she remembered the two bears that had come out of the room only minutes before. '_They can't have gotten far…_' she thought to herself as she wandered out of the room without her brother's knowledge. She slipped through the stairwell door when she reached it, and began walking down, her paw reaching for her weapon in case she met trouble.

She heard echoed voices as she reached the second level. Curious, she leaned over the middle railing and looked down the stairwell. Her eyes widened when she saw her face mirrored in the blanket bundle. "The hell…?" She then growled when she realized who it was, and that the panda she had saw earlier was carrying her cousin. "HEY! YOU!"

Derek's eyes widened and he stared upwards, as did the silver she-bear next to him did the same.

Kenya's eyes narrowed as she studied the faces for a brief moment before charging down the stairs, pulling out her gun when they started running. "I said stop!" She easily caught up to them at the basement level and snarled. "Put. Them. Down."

Lei and Derek froze and slowly turned around, staring with wide eyes at the she-bear. Both then glanced down at the bundle in the panda's arms.

"You… You look just like him," the she-bear whispered, her voice echoing in the garage.

"I said, put them down!"

"You don't understand. We have to take them to keep their families safe!" Lei complained. "If they get away, Thrasher will just come after them and kill everyone!"

There was a sudden _pfft_ and pain erupted from Kenya's torso as she was flung backwards against the railing. Another _pfft_ and more pained filled her as she fell to her knees, blood dripping out of her mouth as she looked down at the hemorrhaging on her torso.

"What have you done?!"

"I did what I had to. Master's very angry with you, and you better get your asses back up that mountain before he finds out about your escape attempt!"

"We had to bring them to the hospital, you buffoon! If we didn't, Beary would be dead from what that bastard did to him!"

The voices slowly disappeared as the blood pounding in her ears overtook her hearing. As her vision began to fade, she witnessed the silver she-bear and panda walk away, still holding Beary and Jewel, while another figure approached her, holding a gun aimed at her head.

"No witnesses…"

The trigger was pulled.


	20. Chapter Nineteen

.~*Chapter Nineteen*~.

Dex jerked and pulled away, turning to see whoever it was that had touched his shoulder. He found a tall brunette female waitress standing behind him.

"Excuse me, but are you the gentleman whose wife is crying in the restroom?" she asked softly.

"Fiancé, and I was just about to look for her."

"If you don't mind, would you please follow me? She's disrupting business." She didn't explain further as she led the way. "My name is Lexy, by the way."

Dex arose from his table and followed her to the back of the restaurant. "Is she okay? I knew she was upset when she left…"

"She's still crying, and it's upsetting our customers. We're asking you to please take her and leave—after you pay your bill." Lexy stopped at the ladies restroom and held open the door.

He entered warily, glancing around. "Hello? Anyone here? Ash?" He heard soft cries down the way.

Lexy waited until the male was inside the bathroom before shutting and silently locking the door.

Dex knocked on the cubicle doors. "Ash?" He bent down to check for signs of feet. He could no longer hear the sniffling, so he figured he had imagined it. "I don't think she's still in here. Maybe she went out if she was told she was causing problems? Is there a lounge she could have gone to?"

The female glanced at the cubicle next to him, hearing the crying again. "I believe that's her there."

He knocked on the cubicle door. "Ash? Honey, are you okay?"

The door opened and a white she-bear held up a small baseball bat. Dex didn't have time to react before he was hit over the head with it.

.~*~.

Outside, Alexander checked his watch impatiently as he sat in the van, waiting for his teammates to bring out the other prisoner. They had already loaded the female into the back, and Alexander had made sure to chain her to one of the metal hooks that the back seats were supposed to latch onto. "Damn people… They take forever. What the hell's keeping them so long?"

Finally, he spotted one of his teammates, Lexy, crawling through the window. Next came a still body of their second captive, followed by the white she-bear known as Cady. He got out of the vehicle and approached them, helping Lexy pick up the young adult and dragged him over towards the van. After getting him inside and chaining him up, he looked at his partners. "What took you so long?"

"Had a lil trouble," Cady complained.

"He's a tad heavier than he looks. Almost couldn't get him through the window," Lexy growled.

"Hurry up. If the cops show up, you'll all be sorry." He stalked away towards the van. "You morons have ten seconds to get in before I leave you here."

Lexy climbed into the front seat, leaving Cady to sit in the back with their capture. "Hurry up and get going, Alex."

He glared at her. "Do **_not_** call me Alex!"

"Sheesh. Don't act like such a baby. It's just a nickname."

Behind them, Cady rolled her eyes. "Oh, get a room."

Lexy turned and glared at her. "Shut up."

Alexander drove down the street and took an exit ramp to the highway, flooring the van. "Both of you shut up, **_now_**." He clenched his jaw, hands tightening on the steering wheel. "If I wanted a **_nickname_** as a name, I would have picked one."

In the back, Dex began to stir, but knew something was off, so he remained still, listening to the bickering.

Lexy rolled her eyes. "Having fun back there, Cady?" She knew that there were no seatbelts for the bear in the back. She smirked when the she-bear flipped her off.

Alexander gripped the steering wheel tightly, and jerked it to the left to pass a line of cars going the actual speed limit—he was going ten over—and muttered to himself, "Jackasses, taking up space on the road…"

It wasn't long before he turned into an off ramp.

Dex, who hadn't been strapped down properly, let out a grunt of pain as he was rolled on his side.

Alexander smacked the button on the radio, turning it off. "Did that kid just make noise? Can't you two even knock someone out without screwing it up?"

"Oh, shut up. Cady wacked him, not me."

"Well sorry if my knockout skills aren't perfect!"

After a few minutes, they pulled onto a barely-visible gravel road, forced to slow down so they didn't hit any trees.

"Just make sure he doesn't fricking move. We're almost there, and then the bastards aren't our problem, and you two can explain to the boss why you didn't do your job right," Alexander growled.

"Eh, Thrasher'll probably punish Cady," Lexy shrugged.

"Always me," Cady groaned.

"Well, we all know he **_likes_** you, bitch."

She flipped off the human, though she knew it was true.

"I hear he was gonna go pay those bitches up in the cabin a visit. What were their names again?" Lexy questioned, looked at her male partner.

"Them fricking bears we had to snatch? Jewel and Beary... Derek… and… and Lei…" Alexander said the last name softly as he thought about the she-bear, someone he actually cared about.

At that very moment, Cady let out a yelp as Roxi dug her heel into the she-bear's thigh. At the very same moment, Dex swung a wrench he had found at her as well.

Alexander slammed on the brakes at her screech. "What the hell are you doing?!" he shouted.

Lexy turned around, asking the same thing.

Dex was thrown forward, his arms yanked backwards due to the cuffs being stuck on a hook. The wrench went flying between Alexander and Lexy and shattered the windshield.

"TIE THEM DOWN!" Alexander roared, furious.

"I DID!" Cady snarled, wrestling with Dex, trying to hold him down.

Lexy hopped out of the van and opened the side door, pointing her gun at the struggling human. "Now calm the hell down before I shoot you."

Dex reached forward and grabbed a hammer, holding it up defensively.

The dark brown-haired girl rolled her eyes and aimed the gun at Roxi instead. "Put it down or I shoot her instead."

He didn't listen as he threw the hammer and kicked at the gun. The bullet went right through the ceiling as the gun went off. Cady had to tackle him to the floor again, failing miserably as he unhooked himself and jumped out of the van at Lexy. They began to wrestle.

Alexander got out of the car, slamming the door. He stalked around to the side of the car, brandishing his own weapon. "Stop right now or I'll kill you both," he snarled.

Both fighters paused. Lexy glared at her "partner" before forcing Dex to his feet. In the meantime, Cady had pulled Roxanne out of the van and was holding a knife to her neck.

"Move forward," the human male said bitterly.

Dex glanced at Roxi and sighed. If he fought back, she would be killed. He didn't know where they were going, but he knew he had to behave or else. Slowly, he began walking.

.~*The Country Bears*~.

James wandered into the guest bedroom that he and Tasha shared at Jade's house. Tasha was curled up on the bed, still not speaking to anyone. It had been almost four months since the fire and she had yet to get back to her old self.

"Tash?" he asked softly, sitting on the bed beside her. He did this every night, hoping to get her to talk and get her out of her depression. He knew they should move back to their home, having been away long enough, but he was scared of leaving her alone while he went to work, so he asked Jade to watch out for her, Jordan, and lil Erin.

He had had to pull both the day shift and cover for someone else who had called in sick, as well as cover the next day's shift. All in all, he had been gone for almost thirty-six hours. Thankfully, he didn't work for the next few days. "Hey, Tasha," he said quietly, holding her paw. "Caught a bank robber yesterday…" He went on to explain the last two days to his wife, adding in a few chuckles every so often.

Tasha gave no response, but she did look at him as he spoke. The pink scar tissue on her face severely contrasted with her black fur. It stretched from the top of the left side of her face, down her neck—more in patches on her throat—and spread across her chest. The worst of the scars were thankfully hidden below her clothes, but that didn't improve her mood at all. She knew she was hideous, and she was positive that everyone else thought so—especially after how Jordan had reacted to seeing her.

"Tasha… You have to beat this depression," James whispered, squeezing her paw. "I know you're hurting, honey, I do. But please… you have to come back to me… I hate seeing you like this. I… I feel so helpless, watching you suffer like this when I can't do anything to help you…" He reached over and stroked the scars on his face, no longer flinching like he used to. "You realize that you're beautiful to me no matter what, right?"

No response.

He sighed. "Baby…"

"Mama?"

James turned his head and found his son standing in the doorway, clutching a stuffed dog, blanket, and a book. "Jordan? What's wrong? Why aren't you in bed?" The five-year-old wandered over and climbed onto the bed. James knew that his son was nervous, and he considered asking him to leave—last time the cub had seen his mother, he had screamed which had sent Tasha into the depression she was still in. However, he didn't say anything as he watched his son crawl over his mother and sit next to him, looking at the she-bear.

Jordan studied his mother's face, but didn't make a sound as he took in the scars. Tasha stared back at him, waiting for the scream she knew was coming.

"Mama? You wead me bedtime stowy?" he asked, holding out the book to her.

The she-bear blinked several times. Where was the scream? Why hadn't he flinched and run away like before? What was going on? She didn't have any answers to her questions, which frustrated her. However, all thoughts ceased when she felt him put a tiny paw on her scarred face.

"Mama, your face feel funny," he giggled, touching the tender skin lightly. "You pway wit my paint? Silly Mama got it all ova yoself!"

James smiled. It was obvious that Jordan didn't remember what had happened and didn't understand what the burns were from—not to mention what they were. James pulled his paw away from his wife, allowing Jordan to move closer.

Tasha was surprised when Jordan snuggled up against her, pressing his head against her chin as he searched for her love. Slowly, she wrapped her arms around him, holding him close as tears rolled down her cheeks. "I-I'm sorry, J-Jordan," she whimpered, her voice extremely hoarse from lack of use.

"Does it huwt?" the five-year-old asked softly, placing a paw on the scars on her neck.

"A little," she whispered.

"Jordy kiff and make betterer?"

She laughed. "That'd be nice, baby."

So that's exactly what he did and looked at her. "Betterer?"

"Much better, baby boy." She kissed the top of his head and resumed her cuddling. She had never been happier than to have her child accept her. Children were innocent, and thus more truthful.

They stayed like that for almost ten minutes before Jordan pulled away. "Stowy time?" he asked cutely.

Tasha carefully sat up, wincing slightly, and took the book from her son. "_Puss in Boots_?" she questioned.

Jordan settled into his mother's lap, leaning his head against her chest. "Uh-huh. My faborite."

The she-bear smiled and began to read aloud.

James moved over to the doorway and glanced at Jade who had been watching them all while rocking Erin back to sleep.

"Oh, don't be such a sap, James," she chuckled quietly, spotting the tears rolling down his face. Secretly, she was quite pleased with what was going on. Tasha had made some excellent progress in just a matter of minutes, all thanks to Jordan. She handed Erin off to James. "I'm gonna go call Teddy with the news."

"Teddy?"

"Yeah."

He gave her a blank look.

"My boyfriend…"

"You have a boyfriend?"

"Uh, yeah…"

"Does this boyfriend have a last name?"

She just shrugged. "Bedderhead. Why?"

James blinked several times. "Are you really…?"

"Yup. Anyway, I'm gonna go call him and find out what's up. He said something had happened last night which is why our date was called short. See ya."

He reached out and gripped her shoulder, balancing the sleeping Erin in his other arm. "Jade… Something happened last night with the band…"

She turned quickly and looked at him. "What's going on?"

James glanced into the bedroom for a moment before looking at her. "Let's talk in the kitchen." He led the way, and when they got there, he sat on a chair. He waited until she was sitting as well before he spoke up. "Tennessee's in the hospital. He was attacked by something that… that tried to rip his throat out. I don't know about his condition right now, but last I heard, it was critical."

"Tennessee… Isn't that…"

"Jewel's father," the police sergeant answered, looking down at the mention of his niece. He noticed that Jade did the same, obviously upset. After a moment, he continued. "Fred said that someone ran out of the cabin covered in blood."

Jade didn't know how to respond, so she remained silent, contemplating things.

"Just thought you ought to know what's going on, Jade," he finished, yawning. "I'm beat… Gonna head to bed. But first… I think Tasha could use some TLC from lil Erin."

She smiled and gripped his shoulder. "Good luck, James." She looked down, still thinking. When he had brought up Jewel's name, an old memory had popped up into her mind, Sighing, she let herself drift back in time…

Jade, Beary, and Jewel had been off on a camping trip when the cubs' kindergarten year finished. They had eaten smores, gone fishing, told stories, sung songs… It had been wonderful. Jade had also learned that Beary was afraid of water, which was why he only stayed in the shallow areas where he could see the bottom. Beary and Jewel had teased her about her "crush" on one Theodore Bedderhead…

Jade chuckled at the memory. Things had been so simple back then. They had had so much fun that they had decided to do it again the next year as well. And so it became tradition, until last year when Beary was supposed to have gone on tour with the _Bears_, and then had been kidnapped instead.

She shook her head, clearing it of the nightmare that had happened that year. She hadn't even been home during that time, having been on a long cruise. She had come home and found him in a coma. All that mattered now was that they get Jewel back—since Beary had died [which Jade didn't believe in the least bit]—so that they could continue their camping trip tradition…

.~*The Country Bears*~.

Zeb walked silently behind the golden she-bear, trying to look as inconspicuous as possible. He tried not to remember what had almost happened the previous night, but he couldn't get it out of his mind. What was wrong with him? Why did he keep thinking about it? He shook his head, trying to clear it.

Trixie didn't remember the events of the previous night. All she remembered was waking up and finding out that Tennessee was in the hospital after being attacked. What happened yesterday? Why did she have no memory? The golden female was confused as she quickly walked through the hallways to the waiting room. She was rather curious about how she had ended up in Zeb's cabin, though. She hadn't been in his cabin in years… not since that night almost thirteen years before… She didn't remember most of what happened that night, other than that they had been drinking, but she knew it was after she had bonded with Tennessee.

She shook her head and looked around. "Fred!"

The dark brown bear snorted and glanced up. He had finally managed to fall asleep, and now he was being woken up again… life was unfair. "T-Trixie." He nudged Ted, who was sitting next to him, awake. "How you been?"

Trixie blinked. "I'm okay, I guess…"

"Do you remember what happened?" Ted asked, not looking up.

"No… What happened? Where's Tennessee?"

The brothers glanced at each other. Trixie was strangely calm… too calm. Why wasn't she panicking?

"Mrs. O'Neal?"

The she-bear turned and looked at the platinum blonde doctor. "Dr. Daka, how is my husband?" She didn't bother with pleasantries. She just wanted to get this over with.

Renee Daka blinked, rather surprised at the bluntness of the she-bear. "Well, to be frank, Mr. O'Neal has suffered severe puncture wounds to the front of his neck. His Jugular was spared, but only just. His vocal cords, however, were damaged in the attack and-"

Trixie's eyes narrowed. "Attack? Who said it was an attack?!" she growled defensively.

Zeb, Fred, and Ted glanced at each other, all confused. Then again, they all had a feeling what had happened in the cabin: Thing had gotten a little **_rough_** during a love-making session. At least, that's what they hoped had happened… Then again, Tennessee had had his vest on… and Trixie had been wearing her jacket... they could have been in the process of getting ready for… **_it_**. Trixie wouldn't purposely bite him hard enough to send him to the hospital… would she?

"Uh, from what we were told and judging by wounds inflicted, it is safe to presume that they were from a bite of some sorts. Now, he's in the ICU resting comfortably. I can take you to see him, if you want."

Did she really want to see him? Trixie wasn't sure. What was holding her back, anyway? Why did her head hurt…? Why did she feel a fear of going near her husband? Why didn't she want to see him…?

"Mrs. O'Neal?" Renee questioned, reaching out and touching the she-bear's shoulder. "Are you all right?"

"I'm fine!" she snapped, pulling away. "Where's Tennessee?"

"This way…"

.~*~.

Trixie silently walked into her husband's room and studied the machines that Tennessee was hooked up to. She hated hospital rooms. They were so… sad. Why was he here? What happened? Dr. Daka had said something about bite wounds? But what had attacked him? Gah! Why couldn't she remember?!

The golden she-bear walked closer to the bed and placed her paw on his leg, gently shaking him. "T-Tenny…? Y-You awake?" she asked softly, her voice trembling.

Brown eyes were revealed as Tennessee's eyelids lifted. He looked around, dazed, trying to figure out what was going on. He opened his mouth, trying to speak, but nothing came out. However, he spotted his wife and smiled. Something nagged at the back of his mind, but he paid it no attention. Trixie was here, and that was all that mattered. Weakly, he reached out with his paw, wanting to hold her.

The she-bear smiled and took his paw, grasping it tightly. "Oh, Tenny… What happened…? Are you okay?"

Why couldn't he answer her? Why did his throat feel so weird? What happened to him? Tennessee didn't know. All he knew was that he felt numb to the world. He could barely move anything. Everything felt so… strange… Surreal. Was he really truly awake? It didn't feel like it. No one who was truly awake could feel like this, right?

"Shh… don't try to speak… The doctor said your vocal cords were damaged when you were… attacked.."

An attack? Surely he would remember being attacked, right? And his vocal cords damaged? It couldn't be… He can't have damaged vocal cords… Without being able to speak or sing, how was he going to provide for his family?!

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! Tennessee, calm down!" Trixie exclaimed as the heart monitor started picking up its pace. "Take it easy!" She reached over and pressed the call button for the nurse. She had to get him calm. "Stop! Everything's okay! Believe me!"

How could he believe her? He was useless now… There was nothing he could do with his life from now on, not when he no longer had a voice. It wasn't fair to him, to Trixie, or to the _Bears_, his family. This whole thing just plain **_sucked_**. Tears slipped down his cheeks quietly as he questioned his usefulness. He couldn't take care of Trixie… or Jewel, wherever she was. He was nothing without his voice. He could still play the thang, but… it didn't matter.

He didn't matter…

.~*The Country Bears*~.

Kaspian glanced around. "Kenya?" Where'd his sister go? Last time he had seen her, she was standing beside him…

He looked at one of the nurses that had been with them. "Hey, which way did Agent Hathworth go?"

"Uh… down the stairs, I think."

"Now why would she go down there…?" he wondered to himself as he began to walk towards the stairs. After all, the other security guards were here and looking around the area for the missing patients. He had enough time to slip out… besides, he had a bad feeling… something was wrong with his sister.

Quietly, he slipped through the door and down the stairwell. "Kenya!" he called, hoping to see her.

"I said stop!"

That was Kenya's voice. Who was she talking to?

"Put. Them. Down."

Kaspian blinked and began running down the stairs. Judging from what she was saying, she had found them. However, he wouldn't call the other guards until he was sure. "Kenya!" he called, hoping she would answer. The familiar sound of gunshots made his fur rise as he leapt down the staircase.

"No witnesses..."

Kaspian's eyes widened. Kenya was down on the ground, a gun aimed at her head. Furious, he attacked at the least possible second and pushed the gun away to the side just as it went off.

Cady was knocked off of her feet she snarled turning around as she fell rolling over into a crouch, her eyes never left Kaspian's body, she was readying for a fight.

Kaspian snarled, furious. "You bitch. What the hell have you done?!" He didn't bother with his gun, wanting to wrestle. This wouldn't be solved with guns, but with strength. Now wasn't the time to talk, but to fight. But it would do him any good. she still had her gun. He glanced behind him worriedly. "Kenya? Are you all right?"

"K...Kassie..." she whispered, trying to stop the blood flow. She couldn't feel her legs. What was going on?

Cady seeing his loss of concentration sprang at him claws extended out! "Bad move big mistake!" She'd abandoned the gun. She wanted a brawl; she wanted to bring him down.

Kaspian growled as he went down, landing painfully on his elbow beside his sister. He was absolutely furious about what had happened, and that fueled his rage as he fought back, sinking his teeth into her arm.

Letting out a shriek of pain Cady fought back aiming for Kaspian's nose anything for him to get off! "Get the fug off of me you son of a bitch!"

"Like you said, a bitch is a dog. I'm not a dog." He bit her other paw, chuckling darkly.

She cried out falling back looking at her paws they were both bloodied ad torn she cradled them against her chest smearing dark red blood on her white fur.

He growled at her. "How dare you hurt her like this... How dare you!" He sent his paw careening towards her jaw. "I'll kill you!"

Cady tried blocking it with her elbow but wasn't quick enough shrieking as she felt it connect with a loud crack! She went down catching herself rolling over. She was almost beat she had to try and get out of here!

"Try it, witch. You shot my sister, and now you're going to pay!" He tackled her to the ground, wrapping his paws around her neck.

Cady raised her injured paws to his arms trying to break his grip on her. "Please...stop... let me go..." She tried to peel his fingers from her one by one.

"Kaspian! Stop!" Kenya cried, seeing as he wasn't going to stop. This was her fault. Her brother was going to be a killer because of her.

Kaspian continued to snarl at the she-bear, but paused when he heard his sister. His eyes lost their blood lust and he backed away, horrified at what he had done.

Cady fell back, choking; her paw to her throat coughing rolling over slightly dry retching. She groaned she knew she'd being huge trouble when she got back!

Shaking slightly, Kaspian got up and handcuffed her. He then got on the radio and called for help.

Immediately after making sure that was done, he pulled off his shirt and pushed it against his sister's injuries, trying his hardest not to cry. "K-Kenya… you're going to be all right. I promise, you're going to be all right…" he whispered, gently rubbing noses with her.

The light brown she-bear let out a pitiful whine as she looked into his eyes. Shaking, she reached up with a paw, placing it on his face. "T-Take care of yo-yo-yourself, K-Kassie… I… I love you, b-br-brother…" Her eyes rolled back and she gave into the comforting darkness, unaware of his pleas for her to stay awake.

It wasn't long before several nurses came down with a gurney and loaded the injured Kenya onto it, taking her up the elevator. Kaspian, meanwhile, glared at the she-bear he had captured. If he lost his sister…

Cady grimaced at the position she was in. "...So...what are you intending on doing to me...?" she rolled over onto her side looking up at him.

"You're going to be charged for attacking a federal officer, kidnapping, child endangerment..." He went on and on, but his heart wasn't in it. He was distracted with worry about his sister.

"Yeah yeah yadda yadda... why not add a few more to that..."

"Most criminals are quiet after being read their rights…"

"I'm not like most... Ever find out what happened to two of your comrades? On the trail of three..." she let him figure out the rest.

Kaspian blinked, confused. "What on earth are you talking about?"

Cady grinned "Matthews and Jameson?...ring a bell?" She didn't care about telling him about the fact she had killed before.

"Uh.. who?"

Cady rolled her eyes. "Oh what the hell. Let's just say... I ran into them. Rather disgusting sound when you rip someone's throat out," she grinned nastily. "Oh and by the way you just lost those two cubs your sister was trying to get back. Wouldn't bother going after them; they'll be long gone."

His eyes widened. "What?! What are you talking about?! Tell me, damn it!"

"What was it they'd called them...Gem and Jacob? Bleh dumb names...little Beary and Jewel are long gone... you'll never find them again... no point in keeping me. I'm no use to you."

He gripped her shirt tightly. "You know where they are, don't you. TELL ME!"

"Nope not saying a word. And, uh, I'd get off me. I doubt Master would want you touching his bitch..." She twisted on her back, tearing her shirt in the process, rolling over her fur pushed up on her shoulder from being pressed against the floor revealing a burn mark on her shoulder.

"What the hell... Girl, if you help us, we can make a deal with you. Your sentence will be less. Why are you letting two innocent children be forced into slavery?"

"Wouldn't matter about my sentence. I'm as good as dead anyway. You think I didn't try? Me and the other two tried getting them away. Who do you think sent you that message?!"

"Message? What message?"

"The one saying about they'd be let go if they didn't uh... get together? We'd made a plan to get them away... we were hoping they wouldn't go through with it... but it happened anyway... we couldn't do anything after that."

"Oh, so you wanted us to pay millions of dollars for them? How pathetic can you get?"

"Would've got them back to their families though... we wouldn't have gone back on our word"

"How did you know their families were still alive? Considering you bastards set that fire to kill them all."

"That wasn't my idea. I don't know anything about what happened. That's one thing I can't help ya with. I wasn't there."

"You're a cold-hearted bitch and you know it. Now, stop talking to me. I have to see to my sister and find those cubs." He knew he couldn't move until backup arrived, but... oh well.

"Cold hearted? Hah! You don't know what I've had to do in my fugging life just to help out a few people. Look do me a little favor... make sure no one else knows of you getting hold of me... I'll give ya a hand here and there. if Thrasher finds out I've been caught... let's just say I'm no more use for you. Next time you'll see me I'll be dead."

"You know I can't do that."

"Well let me tell you a little something to change your mind. Next people to go will be close to Beary... that's the only help I'm giving you. I'd think about that one if I were you..."

"Grrr... I can't think about this right now... How do I know you'll keep your word?"

"When I say something I mean it I never go back on it."

He studied her for a minute, unsure if he should even bother listening to her. Then again, she was their ticket to the cubs... how could they not trust her? Could he really take that chance?

"I couldn't save my own cub... she's gone... I'll never get her back... what have I got to lose?"

"You're not lying..."

"Do you seriously think I would joke about something like that?"

"You criminals are all the same."

Tears had started to glisten at the corner of her eyes. "Ever thought I wanted to do all this? I've been in the same boat as them for most of my life since I was five… Don't tell me that we're all the same!" He'd hurt her there and she showed it.

"Hey... don't cry..." He had never been good with crying females."Uh... chill... Don't know what you're crying for..."

Cady just rolled over onto her side her back to him her many scars and wounds new and old peeked out from her torn shirt.

"Shit... do you need a doctor?"

"No, I'm used to it. Part of being Thrasher's bitch. If he gets mad at one of my colleagues, I usually try to take the brunt of it. That's nothing compared to what he's done to me before." she didn't know why she was telling him this. He just seemed like she could trust him.

"Thrasher? Who's Thrasher?"

"Please tell me you don't seriously think Derek's the one running this…"

"That panda? Yes. He seems to be in charge."

She shook her head. "Nope... Thrasher's the boss of the whole stick. Derek's just one of the..." She trailed off for a moment. "Little warning to give you... don't ever mess with Thrasher; he's more than capable of killing..."

"Just one of the what?"

"Breeders… Him and Lei have been in it for years… he's not the one you want."

He looked at her. "Fifty years. Their families were murdered in their bed, except for Alakalei's. Her brother is alive and missing her horribly." Okay, WHY did he tell her that?

"She misses him too...she told me a few of her antic him and her used to do...Alan isn't it?"

"My uncle…"

Cady looked at him. "Really? That makes Lei."

"My aunt? yeah... She's Beary's aunt, too."

"Lei hasn't a clue about this." She looked up at him sighing "So, what do you intend on doing with me then?"

"I... I guess I should let you go, but..."

"I know ...you're just doing your job... wouldn't expect anything else."

"I'm gonna get fired for this..." He tossed her the key and then ran at the wall, hitting it hard enough to knock himself unconscious.

Cady had already picked the lock ages ago so she was shocked at what he'd done she rolled over catching him grimacing at the pain in her paws. "Didn't have to do that..." She lowered him down supporting him checking his head for any lumps or bumps. "You're lucky...nothing... no bumps...better set you down" she turned him onto his side being gentle about it. He HAD let her go after all. "Sorry Kaspian," she whispered turning his head to one side before she left the room disappearing.


	21. Chapter Twenty

.~*Chapter Twenty*~.

Beary groaned as he came to. He was lying beside something warm. Turning his head, he saw Jewel lying beside him with as many bandages as he had. What happened? "J-Jewel? Jewel! Are you okay?"

Jewel shook, curling up slightly away from him as she softly whimpered.

Hesitantly, he reached out and placed a paw on her shoulder. "Jewel, it's only me..."

She rolled over, turning slightly with obvious fear on her face. '_Beary…?_' she thought. Why couldn't she talk? Why wouldn't she…? She wanted to, but she was afraid… so afraid…

"Jewel? Honey, what's wrong?" he asked softly. He couldn't understand why she wouldn't talk to him. Had something he said upset her?

"Ah, I see you two are awake. How are you feeling, young ones?" Lei asked as she looked them over. She was sitting at the top of the stairs, holding a tray with two bowls of soup, some milk, and a slice of toast for each cub.

Beary blinked and glanced over at her. "I'm fine… Head hurts a little, but…" He looked at Jewel worriedly.

"Jewel, honey? Is something wrong?" Lei questioned softly, looking at the she-cub. She set the tray down on the opposite side of the railing and crawled over to the cub. She looked her over, feeling her forehead, and checking her stitches. "Everything seems to be fine… Why are you shaking, child?"

Jewel wouldn't answer. She couldn't. Nor could she stop shaking. She was scared, but of what? Why did she feel this way?

"Why don't you two come downstairs. Beary, you need to come down and stretch your leg… You both need to get up and move around; you've been asleep for almost three days."

"Three days?" For the first time, both cubs looked around the room their currently shared. There was an IV pole with bag on either side of the bed, and on the dresser was a first aid kit. Beary could see the stitches on Jewel's chest—she was wearing a halfway unbuttoned top—and looked at his own body. He had a bandage around his leg and another on his head. His stomach twinged a bit as he moved around, but it wasn't too bad. He was more concerned about Jewel. Why hadn't she said anything? Why and how had she been hurt? Who had hurt her? He looked at Lei and frowned. Her face was covered in cuts… they looked like bite marks. Where had they come from? There were so many questions, and he had no answers.

"Do you remember what happened?" When Beary shook his head, but Jewel nodded, she frowned. She hesitated for a moment before looking at Beary. She knew now why Jewel was being quiet. "Beary… could you come downstairs for a moment? We need to talk."

"Huh? About what? What is it that I'm supposed to remember? Who hurt Jewel and you?"

"Downstairs, kiddo. Derek went out to take care of the problem. He… should be back any time now…" Lei didn't want to admit how scared she was. Derek had gone down to the base yesterday and had yet to return. She knew that he was in trouble for going against Thrasher… Lei just hoped Thrasher would be merciful. Silently, she slipped down the stairs.

Beary looked at Jewel sadly. "I'll be back… You eat, okay?" When she didn't answer, his eyes narrowed. "Jewel, promise me you'll eat. Please…" Finally, she nodded. He hesitated a moment before kissing her cheek. He turned away before he saw her flinch.

_.~*~. _

"HE DID WHAT?!" Beary shrieked. He couldn't believe his ears. That bastard had done **_what_** to Jewel?! He clenched his paws tightly, absolutely furious. His beloved had been raped… by… by that monster… While he had been out hunting with Derek… Stupid, stupid, stupid. He never should have left her! This was his entire fault! Jewel was in pain because of him! Why… Why didn't he hear her screams? Why hadn't he hurried home? Why hadn't he— Beary blinked and looked over Lei's shoulder in shock. "D-Dex…?" he whispered.

.~*The Country Bears*~.

Dex glanced at Roxi as they were chained up. He could see she was severely uncomfortable with her arms hung above her head, which also made it difficult to breathe. "Rox? You okay?" he whispered.

"F-Fine… Just a bit dizzy… My head hurts…"

He wanted to reach out to her, wanting to hold her in his arms. "Don't worry; I'll get us out…"

"I wouldn't be too sure, pretty boy," Lexy smirked. "You're in our house now… We'll do you in like we did those two bear cubs."

Dex's eyes widened. "Bear cubs? What bear cubs?!"

"Oh, don't play dumb. You know damn well what cubs we're talking about."

Dex blinked. "You… Wait… I recognize you…" He took on a furious look. "YOU KIDNAPPED MY BROTHER!"

"How can a bear be your brother? Blech."

"Because we adopted him into our family when he was three! He's been my brother for years!"

"Yeah yeah, sure. Whatever."

Alexander came into the room, sporting blood on his cheek. "Shut them up like I said! Mr. Thimple is coming, do you **_want_** to look as stupid as you are?"

Lexy rolled her eyes and looked at the two other humans, who were chained to the wall to prevent escape. "The chains are holding. We're good to go for the boss."

Roxi and Dex looked at each other worriedly. Boss? What boss…?

Alexander ignored the blood on his cheek and the pain that coursed through his head as he turned it quickly. "They're in here, Mr. Thimple."

Josh Thimple entered the room, smoking a cigar, and grinning like a Cheshire cat when he spotted Dex and Roxi. "Well if it isn't Dexy-wexy! Looks like you finally got a boyfriend. Oh, wait… that's a girl…"

Roxi glared at him. "At least I'm true to my nature, unlike you, bitch."

Josh let out a snarl as he marched over and struck her. "I'm not gay, you dumbass," he growled.

"Don't you touch her!" Dex shouted, furious.

"I'll do whatever the hell I want!"

Dex bit his lip to keep from doing something stupid and blinked. "Wait… Josh the Jerk…"

"Don't you think 'Josh the Jerk' is a little… middle school-ish, now, Dexy-wexy?" he smirked.

"I wasn't aware anyone would go to all this trouble just so that we could get into a pissing contest over who could come up with the lamest nickname… but guess what? I concede. You win."

Josh's eye twitched dangerously and he sneered. "Why you little bas—"

A tall, thick furred bear, easily four hundred pounds, walked into the room, wearing a sumo-suit-like bandage, which was red with blood in the crotch area. The male was obviously furious about something, probably what happened to his crotch. "Fugin bitches. When I get a hold of them again, that boy is gonna pay." He looked at Josh. "Shut the fug up!"

Cady and Lexy paled and backed away from the prisoners, not wanting to be in Thrasher's path. Alexander stood still. Josh had no fear of the bear and stood his ground.

Roxi and Dex both flinched and looked at each other, gulping, before looking at the large bear. "I… don't suppose this would be the time to say that this is all a large misunderstanding…?" Dex said nervously, licking his lips.

"Oh, ya wanna get cheeky with me, eh? Just like that one cub. I quickly taught him his place."

Dex had a bad feeling that the cub he was talking about was Beary, his baby brother. No, Beary wouldn't be **_that_** stupid as to tick off the giant… would he?

The massive grizzly, who looked rather ridiculous in his getup, looked at Alexander, Lexy, and their sloth bear partner Cady. "Took ya fuggers long enough. Ya had THREE FUGGING MONTHS TO SNATCH THEM! WHAT THE FUG TOOK YA SO LONG?!"

Josh spoke up, glaring at the grizzly. "I'm the one that should be asking YOU what the fug took so goddamn long!"

"Shut the hell up, human," Thrasher growled at Josh.

Lexy glanced nervously at Alexander. Alexander flinched, not quite knowing how to explain the wait. "It was rather difficult tracking them down, sir."

"Oh, yeah? How hard was it, little baby? They've been in this goddamn city the whole time!" He struck the human across the face, nicking him with a claw.

Alexander was thrown slightly sideways, but was expecting the strike, so he managed to stay on his feet. "We didn't realize that. It took longer than expected to discover their aliases."

Josh looked at Thrasher again. "I should have taken a metal baseball bat to your skull every week you were late on capturing them, bear."

"And I would have whipped ya, bitch." He looked at the dark haired human. "Ya failed me… However, you did finally get them, so I will not kill you. That's the only reason yer gonna remain alive, ya piece of shit. If you EVER fail me again…" he raised his paw threateningly.

The human flinched, one hand rising in front of his face.

Dex watched the seemingly psychotic and unstable grizzly and Josh, wondering what the connection between them was.

Lexy, having never seen Alexander like this before, spoke without thinking. "Mr. T-Thrasher, sir, it wasn't entirely his fault! We… we were all-"

Without waiting for her to finish, he gripped her by the front of the shirt and threw her against the wall.

Lexy let out a small cry and slumped to the floor, refusing to move.

Cady cowered, knowing she was next.

Alexander's eyes widened when he saw Lexy hit the wall. "Ignore the stupid girl." He forced himself to look up when he spoke. "You put me in charge; I didn't do what you asked fast enough. They're morons, they aren't capable of doing things without direction; the fault would fall on me for not making them move fast enough."

Roxi was freaked out by the volatile situation and wondered how the hell she and Dex were going to get out without their baby being harmed.

Thrasher turned his eyes on Alex once again. "Then yer gonna be the one that's going to be punished. I'll see you in the "chamber" later."

The human nodded stiffly, clenching his jaw and looking down.

Thrasher looked at Cady, and without even saying anything to her, he struck her across the face and threw her against the wall next to Lexy.

She cried out, whimpering, but didn't move.

"As for you…" Thrasher growled, glancing over at Josh, "you've been a pain in the ass and you need to shut the fug up!"

"Oh really? Just how much farther are you willing to advance with that, bear?" His hand reaches into his pocket and he pulls out a shock collar remote and presses the button.

The shock collar around his neck that was hidden beneath his long thick fur turned on and he let out a pained shriek and fell to the ground, twitching.

"Funny… how one little wound can change a serial rapist grizzly into a pansy teddy bear…" Josh smirked.

Alexander didn't move, just watching Thrasher unsure of whether or not willing to risk more punishment for showing amusement.

In a small voice, Roxi spoke up. "Um… I have to pee… like, really, really bad."

"Yeah, you should really let her go, believe me," Dex answered.

Josh finally let up on the button and allowed Thrasher to get up.

"S-shut… the… hell… up…" Thrasher groaned, still twitching slightly. He was determined to not piss Josh off again as he slowly gets up.

"Piss on yourself. You aren't going anywhere, bitch," Josh growled.

"Boss…?" Alexander was half-afraid to say anything, worried he would tick him off.

The grizzly turned his gaze on him. "What?"

He was speechless for a moment, blinking, surprised that he hadn't been snapped at. "I can move the girls…" He jerked his hand in the direction of Cady and Lexy, "out of your way…"

"Just get them the hell out of here…"

"Yes, sir." He went over and grabbed the two females, dragging them behind him.

Josh, meanwhile, sat down on a chair and pulled a cigarette out along with his lighter. After lighting it and taking a few puffs, he put his lighter away. "Ya know, it would just make everything easier if you were to say… capture them all…"

"I did capture them all." He gestured at Dex and Roxi. "See?"

"No, no, I meant the _Country Bears_ as well."

"They're dead. At least that's what my Catcher Team told me."

"Dead?! They're sitting comfy in Tennessee right now!"

"THEY'RE WHAT?!"

"Matter of fact, the fat black one managed to grab himself a new woman. You might be interested in her… perhaps for one of your boys as a breeder? Sources tell me she's a close friend of those two cubs you captured for me…"

"Hm… really… Would be fun to mess with her head, eh?"

"Oh, definitely."

Thrasher sighed. "I have some punishments to dish out. Ya can take care of these two morons for a bit, right?"

"Duh. I wasn't born yesterday."

Thrasher abandoned Josh with the two humans and went to find Alexander. It was time for his punishment.

Josh glanced at Thrasher's back as the grizzly left, and then looked back at Dex. "So, Dexy-wexy… got yourself a girl, eh? I hear your bastard brother got one, too."

"You know, these chains are really uncomfortable…"

"What's your point?"

"Well, that it's so flattering that you're so scared of us that you have to chain us up like this." He glanced over at Roxi worriedly. He could see her blushing and the smell of urine was present. He knew she was completely embarrassed about wetting herself.

"Yikes, what a stink. Did she really just pee herself? Some girlfriend you got there. Does she need a diaper?"

"Wouldn't mind…" Roxi muttered softly. She couldn't believe what she did.

Josh rolled his eyes. "The chains were the bear's idea."

"So the bear is scared of us? Sweet."

"Your bastard of a brother was as stupid as you are now. He soon learned his place."

"Oh yeah, picking on kids years younger was always your style, but Jewel was ready to rip your throat out, if I remember."

"True that, true that. She's always been braver than that dumbass. If I recall correctly, he ran away from me."

"Beary's not a coward!" Dex spat, furious. "He's just been more careful in not losing his temper around a fragile human or he would have ripped you in half! And if I wasn't chained up, I'd knock you into next week, but you're too chicken-shit to risk it."

"Fragile? You call us humans fragile?! How could you turn against your own kind?! We've always been more powerful than them. Why do you think those filthy mongrels were slaves alongside that black trash? You helped raise your own slave, didn't cha? That's why that filthy THING was taken in by your parents. Oh, they hid the truth, but what you all wanted was your own little slave! Selfish bastards."

Dex blinked, wondering what he meant by "slave". "You've seriously lost it, dude."

"Did you fail history or something? Bears are animals, therefore lower life forms. Flea-bitten mongrels. Why you would want one in your house makes YOU insane, not me. I did you a favor, bro, and you don't even know it."

"It's one thing to live in your own little world of delusion; it's another to inflict it on others. Then again, your father thought he could win a talent show by playing a tune in his armpit."

"Who do you think paid that dumbass Thrasher to have your brother… heh, heh… introduced to the slave trade? Think about it… he's back with his own kind… doing what he's supposed to be doing…"

"Yeah, just confirming my suspicion… you aren't up to a fair fight." Dex was trapped in an adrenaline rush and wasn't fully aware of what Josh was saying about his brother.

Josh went on to say something else, but heard his name called by Thrasher. "I'll be back for you…" He went to talk to Thrasher in the hallway before disappearing while the grizzly appeared.

"So what I miss, lil bitches?" Thrasher smirked.

"Oh, just Josh the Jerk losing his mind."

"I believe he lost that years ago."

"Probably." He looked at him and smirked. "Nice jockstrap, by the way."

Thrasher's eyes narrowed dangerously.

"Dex, I think you should-" Roxi began

The four hundred pound bear unchained Dex and chucked him across the room.

Dex let out a yelp, trying to protect his head as he neared the opposite wall.

"DEX!" Roxi shrieked, pulling against the restraints.

Thrasher went over and picked up Dex, slamming him against the wall. "Listen here, you little bastard! I'm in charge here, not you!" His lips were drawn back, revealing the sharp canines that could easily rip Dex to bits.

"I… see like attracts like… Josh was always prone to pick on those smaller and weaker than himself, too."

He snarled and moved his snout closer to Dex's face. "Screw up one more time, and I'll make sure your pretty little girlfriend is shown, heh, a good time." He gave a small wink.

Dex looked across the room and met Roxi's eyes, realizing that he can't risk harm to her or their baby by wisecracking anymore, yet still can't bring himself to act cowed in the bear's presence, and met his eyes in defiance.

Thrasher gave him one more shove against the wall. "You'll learn your place… just like that stupid bastard and his bitch was. I had a fun time with him… teaching him that I "dominate" him. Oh yes, he cried a lot, but he is good in bed…"

"So raping children is your thing? That must make you feel so powerful, knowing that they have no way of fending you off," Dex growled, not fully realizing just yet what the grizzly had said.

Thrasher didn't answer him. "Now, I know just what to do with you…"

.~*~.

The room itself was bare save for a single cot, and two humans. Roxi was on the cot while Dex sat beside it, looking at the pill bottle and necklace he held in his hand. There had also been a gray jacket, which Dex knew belonged to his brother, and he had crumpled it up so that Roxi could have it as a pillow.

It had been almost two days since their arrival, and one of the females had taken pity on Roxi and had brought her new clothes and allowed her to get cleaned up, so now she was sporting a black belly shirt and tight pants. Dex sighed and placed the bottle and the necklace in his pocket. He took Roxi's hand. Where were Beary and Jewel? What had happened to them? They hadn't been forced into the breeding program, had they? That's what Thrasher's plan for Dex was. He was currently hunting for human females for Dex to… **_breed_** with. The whole idea sickened him.

"Dex…? You feeling okay?" Roxi whispered softly.

"I should be asking you that, Rox…"

"Oh, come on, I know you better than that…" She sighed and looked at her left finger. She couldn't believe that one of their kidnappers had actually brought her back her ring. She was in total shock.

"It… It's just that Beary and Jewel were here… in this very room… But… where did they go?"

"Dey came wit me, up to my cabin, where ya is goin'," a new voice said.

Dex's head turned so fast it popped as he stared at the figure that had entered the room. It was a panda, who looked like he had been recently beaten, with fresh blood on his arms and torso. "Who… are you?" He glanced at Roxi and stood, ready to fight if need be.

"My name is Derek… and I am here ta take ya'll to my cabin up the mountain… to wait for T'asher to find ya some females…"

Dex glared at him, furious. "I'm not doing anything with other females. Roxi is going to be my wife, and I'm not going to cheat on her. I don't care what that bastard does to me for disobeying."

Derek studied the human for a moment. "Ya sound like dat boy…" he said softly.

"Boy? What boy?"

"'is name is Beary…"

Dex's eyes widened and he looked at Roxi in shocked. "B-Beary?! You know my brother?!"

"Brother? But… yer human…"

"My parents adopted him when he was three… Please… tell me he's alive…"

"Yes, up at my cabin… With 'is mate."

"Mate? Jewel?"

"Yeah, dat 'er name!"

"And… you can take us to them?" he asked, shocked.

Derek nodded. "Yup. What's w'ong wit ya gurl?"

"She's pregnant… I… just hope she hasn't lost the baby with the abuse we've taken…"

"My Lei-Lei can help ya. She a doctor… Come on, let's get going…"

.~*~.

Dex carried Roxi piggy-back style through the rain, letting her use Beary's gray jacket—which he had brought with them—as a sort of umbrella. He knew he shouldn't be carrying her after the beating he had taken from the grizzly, but she hadn't eaten, and on top of that, she was pregnant, so she would be feeling very weak. She had been complaining about being carried, too.

"Come on, Dex. Let me carry you or something… You took a pretty bad beating…" she complained.

"I'll be fine, Rox. How far are we away from… oo…" Dex stumbled and simply collapsed in place.

Derek quickly grabbed Roxi before she was hurt and set her down before looking at Dex. "Damn it… Hey, kid, git up…" He poked the human's side, not sure how to deal with this. He wasn't used to humans, other than Lexy and Alexander.

"Mm… fine… Just… a little dizzy…" Dex murmured, sitting up.

Roxi frowned and put her arm under his shoulders and lifted him up. "Lean on me, babe."

Dex nodded and did so.

"We nawt faw f'om dere. Just a few mow minutes and we be at da meadow. Cabin's on da other side."

Roxi nodded. "Tell me you have food…"

"I went 'untin' da ozzur day. Should be plenty left…"

"Hunting? Wait, you don't have, like, store bought food?"

"Don't git down to da city much."

Roxi frowned. "Can I eat the meat?"

"Lei-Lei's eatted it befo and turned up fine. Thirty cubs… all good."

"Thi-Thi-Thirty?!"

"We been hew fifty yews…"

Roxi's and Dex's eyes widened and they glanced at each other.

Derek smiled as they cleared the trees. "Dere we aw…" he said softly. The sun was just beginning to rise, illuminating the sight of a lone cabin with smoke coming out of the chimney. The sunlight illuminated a rainbow above the house. "Gonna be awound… thi'ty degwees 'ound noon."

Dex blinked and looked at Roxi, confused. He then noticed that she was staring at the cabin, so he glanced at it. Two figures stood on the porch, seemingly arguing with each other. Even from a distance, one was distinctly a tall silver she-bear wearing a pair of jeans and a green t-shirt, and the other was wearing baggy pants and an open vest. It was obviously a cub or a small adult. Light brown fur and a white face. Dex only knew this because the cub turned to look at him before moving his mouth and began hobbling towards him unsteadily.

"Beary…" Dex whispered, his legs moving subconsciously towards the young cub.

They were about in the middle of the clearing when they met and stood feet apart, staring at each other in shock.

"Beary…? Is… Is that you?" Dex asked softly.

"I think so… I… don't know anymore. I don't know who I am… Everything's so messed up… So different… Can I really be the same? Can I be truly be 'Beary' again?"

The human blinked and looked at him. "Beary, things may change, but you will always be Beary. You will always be my little brother, Jewel's best friend, a damn good guitarist, the number one _Country Bears_ fan, not to mention a Doofus."

Beary scowled at him, and then gave a small smile before wrapping his arms around his brother, sniffling. "I… I thought you were dead…" he whispered, whimpering at the memory of seeing his brother shot right before his eyes.

"Hey, you know I'm impossible to get rid of, bro." He hugged the cub back, marveling in the fact that Beary was just a head shorter than he was, allowing him to rest his head on top of his younger brother's and just hold him, letting a silent tear roll down his cheek, knowing that the rain would hide it. "I thought I lost you and Jewel… this is all my fault for not watching you better, Beary… Either of you… I blew it big time… I… I'm sorry…"

"No it's not… if we hadn't had gone down for… I think it was hot chocolate… none of this would have happened…" He looked at his brother. "What are you doing here? How… how did you find us?"

"Well, this kindly bear brought us here," a female voice said as a new face walked up behind Dex and wrapped her arms around him, resting her head on his shoulder and looking at the bear cub. "Hiya, Beary."

Beary blinked, wondering who this was. She seemed familiar…

"You remember Roxi, right?" Dex asked.

"Oh! I didn't recognize you, sorry." Beary nervously shuffled his feet. "Almost didn't recognize Dex, either, but… he does have that scent…" The twelve-year-old smirked and hugged them both, not noticing the ring on Roxi's left ring finger.

Derek wandered over to them and frowned. "Can we git out of da rain?" He suddenly let out a yelp as he was tackled to the ground by the silver she-bear from the porch. "Lei-Lei!" he whispered, hugging her tightly while sitting up.

"What took you so long?!" she whimpered, trembling as she curled up on his lap. "I… I thought I would never see you again…"

"I said I be back… I 'ould nevah lie to ya, Lei-Lei…" He kissed her forehead and smiled.

Lei looked at the newcomers and blinked. "Who are they?"

Beary beamed brightly. "Dex is my brother!"

Lei glanced at Beary confused. "Huh? How?"

"My parents adopted Beary when he was only three," Dex replied. "Um… Can we go inside…? I don't want Roxi getting sick, not when she's pregnant…"

Beary blinked and looked at Dex and Roxi in surprise. "P-P-Pregnant?"

Dex licked his lips nervously. "Um… yeah… Roxi and I are going to have a baby…" He took Roxi's hand and showed his younger brother the ring. "We're getting married as well. I asked her before I even knew about the baby…"

The young cub just stared at him, lost for words. His brother was going to be a father? Dex?! No friggin' way.

Roxi shivered and clung to Dex, freezing. "I..i-ins-side…" she murmured.

"Oh my gosh, I'm sorry, Rox." He looked at Lei and Derek. "May we… um… stay here? At the cabin?"

Lei nodded. "I'll make up a bed for you in the living room… The other two bedrooms are taken, unfortunately." She helped Derek up and led the way over to the cabin.

Dex put an arm around Beary's shoulder and walked with his brother. He knew they had to talk, but now probably wasn't the best time. Beary stayed silent as they climbed the porch steps and entered the house. He pulled away from Dex and went through the kitchen, down the hallway, and up the stairs.

Dex frowned and looked at Roxi. "I think I sprang too much on him at once… Just found him again, and I tell him that you're pregnant and we're getting married…"

Roxi just shrugged. "He'll just have to get used to it." She let out a soft groan and looked around before racing down the hallway and into the bathroom before retching.

Derek frowned while Lei blinked. "She's pregnant?" the she-bear asked, surprised.

"Yeah…"

"How far along?"

"Um… I think about three months…?" Dex licked his lips nervously.

"I see…" She looked over at Derek and frowned. "I'm going to have to take her back down to the base tomorrow so I can see how the fetus is developing…" She shook slightly at the thought of being close to Thrasher again.

"I'm goin' wit ya. Nawt leavin' ya alone wit dat jerk." He looked over at Dex. "Could… ya s'ay an wa'ch dem cubs?"

Dex blinked. "Whoa, wait a minute. If anyone is going down to that base with Roxi, I'm going, too."

"Sorry, but… we can't leave those two here alone… and if we take them down there again… Beary may not be allowed to return."

"What are you talking about? Why wouldn't he?"

Derek glanced at Lei for a moment. "T'ashar's taken a likin' too 'im."

All at once, everything the grizzly had said earlier made sense. Beary had been raped, and by the sounds of it, repeatedly. His little brother… Dex turned around and went down the hallway before going up the stairs slowly and looking around once he reached the top. The loft looked rather nice and comfy.

A flash of gold caught his eye and he looked over at the bed in surprise. "J-Jewel?"


	22. Chapter Twenty-One

.~*Chapter Twenty-One*~.

Ted blinked as he watched Henry put his phone away and gesture for Big Al to follow him. What on earth was he up to now? He looked rather upset, but why? He glanced at his brother before getting up and following the manager. "Hen? What's goin' on?"

Henry glanced at him before nodding at Al to hurry on ahead. "There's trouble in Utah…"

"They found them?"

"No… Our niece and nephew were hurt in the line of duty. Since we're the only family they have left…" He sighed. "I don't know how long we'll be gone."

"I see… I'll hold down the fort here and keep you posted, all right?"

He gave the band leader a curt nod. "Try not to let Zeb blow anything up."

Ted chuckled and nodded. "I'll get Fred to keep an eye on him. After all, they're best friends."

"Thanks. We'll be back soon." He turned and quickly walked down the hallway to the exit.

Ted sighed and shook his head. "Hope they're going to be all right…" He glanced at his brother as he came back in. "Go back to sleep, Fred."

"But…"

"We'll visit Tennessee in a little bit. Zeb, you sleep, too."

"Geez, Ted's mellowed out a bit…" Zeb muttered to his best friend. "What do you know that the rest of us don't?"

"I don't know anything…"

"Hey, Ted, why so mellow? Why aren't you trying to bite our heads off like usual?"

Ted glanced at him for a moment before shaking his head. "None of your business."

"Ah, Ted… C'mon. Pleaseeeeeeeee?" Zeb begged.

"Hey… aren't you the _Country Bears_?" a passing nurse asked, stopping to take a look at them.

The three males glanced at each other and sighed. "Yes, ma'am," Zeb answered. "Well, most of us…"

"I hate to bother you, but could you do us a huge favor and sing to the children? It's almost Christmas… and we don't have the money to give them a proper Christmas party…"

Ted smiled and looked at the other two members of his band. "I think… that would be an okay idea. I can have our instruments brought to us in about two hours. Is that okay?"

Fred and Zeb looked at each other in shock and surprise before grinning. "It would be our pleasure singin' to the youngens," the duo grinned.

The nurse beamed happily. "We'll have everything set up in the Children's Ward. I trust you know the way?"

"Yes, ma'am. Just give us a little time after we have our instruments to practice a bit. Haven't… used them in a while…"

"Take all the time you need. The party won't be until this evening. Again, thank you so much for this. I'm sure the kids will love this." She smiled brightly at them and went on her way.

The others glanced at each other, grinning. At last, something to get their minds off of all that had happened.

"Hey, uh, Ted… who's bringing our music down? Roadie's out of town, and Henry and Al… I don't know where they went…" Zeb questioned.

"A friend." Ted gave him a wink and walked off.

The duo blinked and followed him curiously, but at a distance. Where was he going? Why was he leaving the hospital? They quickly zipped up their jackets.

Ted whistled as he walked through the gentle snowfall. He was giddy with joy at going to see Jade again. He didn't even notice the tagalongs behind him as he lightly went down the block with a skip in his step, stopping once he neared Jade's house.

A two-story tan house stood on the corner. In the back yard there was a swimming pool, along with a screened-in porch. The front porch was a bit smaller. Inside, there were a few leather couches in the living room, the kitchen to the right of that. If you were to walk into the living room, down the hall would be a bathroom, an office where Jade does most of her work, and a spare room. Upstairs, there are several doors: one leading to a workout room, another to Jade's bedroom, two going to guest bedrooms, and, finally, a large bathroom. Ted recalled all this from when he had stopped by previously and visited with the Stones.

He hopped up the steps and rang the doorbell, glancing behind him. Seeing no one, he turned back to the door.

Fred and Zeb glanced at each other from the pillars at the bottom of the stairs. That had been a close one. They had dove behind the pillars the moment Ted rang the doorbell, having a feeling he would look back.

"Hiya, kiddo," Ted laughed as Jordan opened the door and pounced on him.

"Uncle Teddy! Uncle Teddy!" the five- (soon to be six-) year-old squealed, hugging him tightly.

"Is Jade here?"

"Jade's sleeping," Tasha said softly, standing in the doorway.

Ted blinked. Tasha was out of bed? "Natasha. you look…" He looked her over for a moment before grinning, "as beautiful as ever. How are you feeling?"

"Much better, thanks to Jordan… He got me off my butt. Last night, actually. He's been working with me all morning… We were actually on our way to the hospital. Jade told me about Tennessee. I wanted to be there for my sister." She gently touched her scarred face and sighed. "I suppose I should wear a scarf."

"Don't you dare. You look beautiful without a scarf, Tash."

"You do, mama," Jordan giggled before leaning forward and giving her a kiss. "Love you."

"Love you too, munchkin. Go and play in the snow for a bit before we go, okay? Be careful."

Jordan giggled and squirmed out of Ted's arms and marched down the steps and laughed when he saw Zeb and Fred. "Seb! Fred!" he cried, launching himself at them.

Ted blinked and looked down at the bottom of the stairs at Zeb and Fred before growling. "_What_ are you two doing here?!"

"Uh…" The duo glanced at each other, trying to figure out an answer.

The lead singer scowled at them. "Spyin' on me, eh?"

Tasha chuckled. "Well, since you're all here… might as well come in and have some hot cocoa, I suppose. We'll just have to try not to wake Jade." She gestured for all four of them to come inside.

Ted, before the others could come up the steps, quickly whispered into Tasha's ear that no one else knew about him and Jade, and he wanted to keep it that way. She nodded and smirked. "Blackmail," she whispered, winking at him. Ted scowled.

"So, what brings you boys to Jade's house?"

"Well, I was hoping she could go get our instruments… We're doing a little Christmas party for the youngens at the hospital. We're also going to need another singer since Tennessee's in the hospital and Trixie… isn't really in the mood to sing."

"I see… I'd sing with ya if I wasn't so sure my face would give those kids nightmares. I'm sure you can coax Jade into singing, Ted. She does have a lovely voice, you know."

"Oh, I know."

Fred raised an eyebrow. "Say, Ted, how do you know this… 'Jade' character?"

"Uh… Met her in Salt Lake City when she came to take care of Jordan. She's also a friend of Beary and Jewel," he added softly.

The duo blinked and looked at each other curiously before following their band leader inside the house (wiping their feet on the mat, of course). They marveled at the large, spacious room that greeted them as they entered. "Whoa…" Zeb mumbled. "She's _loaded_."

Ted rolled his eyes and followed Tasha into the kitchen while Jordan led the other two into the living room and proceeded to get out several scrapbooks he thought they might enjoy.

Tasha went over to the stove and filled the tea kettle, then got out the cups and cocoa mix. "One pack or two?"

"Two, please."

"All right. It should be ready soon. Go on and sit at the table. Tell me what's been going on at the—Oh, dear. That's Erin. Better get her before she wakes Jade. Excuse me." Tasha quickly left the kitchen, heading toward the sound of crying down the hall. She returned moments later with a small black bear cub dressed in a tiny little Christmas sweater and a diaper.

"Aww… She's cute!"

"Would you hold her while I prepare a bottle?"

"I… uh…" Ted blinked, not sure how to answer. What would he do with a cub? Would he even hold her right?

"Great!" Tasha smirked and plopped the littlest Stone in the singer's arms.

Ted blinked and held Erin Jadith Stone in front of his face, not sure what to do with her.

Erin stared right back at him with her big blue eyes before cooing and making grabby hands at his face. Unsure what else to do, Ted brought her a little closer and—

She grabbed his sunglasses, brought them to her mouth, and started gumming on them.

"Hey!" he complained, moving her away from his face and looking at her innocent eyes in shock. "Why you little… Gimme those!" He snatched them back without hurting her, holding her in one arm and the glasses in the other hand.

She screamed in protest.

He quickly handed them back, eyes full of horror. He hadn't broken her, had he? Wasn't there an off button? He turned her over, then back to her normal position, frowning.

Tasha watched him, laughing quietly to herself, wishing she had a video camera. "Is this your first time holding a cub, Ted?"

"Uh… is it that obvious?"

"Mhm…"

Erin went back to gumming the glasses, giggling and growling in the cute way only cubs could.

"She took my glasses," he whined pitifully.

Tasha couldn't hold back. She snorted and patted his back. "Those are hers now, at least until I get her to sleep after her bottle." She looked over at the doorway. "Good morning, Jade. How are you feeling?"

"Ugh, just shut up and give me coffee. Then we'll talk," the slightly smaller black she-bear growled sleepily, sitting heavily at the table and rubbing her eyes, completely unaware of Ted's presence. She was wearing pink and purple patterned cotton pajamas; her fur was disheveled, hair unbrushed. She yawned widely.

Ted blinked a couple of times, looking at her, unsure of what to say. So, he cleared his throat.

Jade paused and blinked, sniffing the air for a moment before removing her paws from her eyes and stared at her boyfriend for a few awkward minutes, pinched herself… and then, uttered one word. "Fudge."

"Fudge? Where?" Jordan asked, walking into the kitchen. "Hiya, Jade!"

Zeb and Fred followed the little guy and paused at the sight of the she-bear, who stared at them for a moment before she slowly got up and walked down the hallway and slammed her door shut.

Ted flinched and sighed. Oops.

She emerged from her room ten minutes later, fur straightened, hair combed, and dressed in jeans and a hoodie. Jade looked beautiful to Ted, not that she hadn't before. He had just been caught off guard and had known that Jade would be uncomfortable being seen in just her pajamas.

Jade sat down at the table and glanced at Ted. "What brings you here, Teddy—Ow!" She yelped as Ted kicked her under the table and shook his head slightly, using his eyes to gesture at Zeb and Fred.

"Teddy?" Zeb asked, snickering. "Let me guess, you're just doin' that to piss him off, right?"

"Uh, yeah… sure." She fixed a hard glare on her boyfriend. "So what brings you here?"

"Well, we've volunteered to do a little Christmas concert for the kids in Pediatrics. A nurse asked us to do it, since we were already there, and we figured it would keep our minds off of things."

"I see… So why did you come here?"

"Well… you see, I was hoping you wou-"

"Why does Erin have your glasses?"

"She stole them from me." He scowled slightly and rolled his eyes. "Anyway. I was wonderin' if you'd give me a ride back to the _Hall_ so I could go get our instruments…"

"Why don't you just drive?"

"Uh… my car got impounded last week… And I rode here on the back of Fred's _Harley_, something I will **_never_** do again."

"I see… Well, fine. But just you." She got up, poured a cup of coffee, chugged it down, and ruffled Erin and Jordan's hair before grabbing her keys. "Whatcha waiting for?"

"Uh, yeah, right." Ted carefully handed Erin back to Tasha, sighing when Erin refused to give him back his glasses, and followed Jade out the door.

The moment they were in the car, she punched his arm. "_That's_ for kicking me."

"I had no choice! Fred and Zeb don't know about us, and I don't want them to. Not yet."

She glanced at him as she pulled out of the driveway. "Why don't you? Are you, I don't know, frightened?"

"It's not that at all… I have my reasons."

"But you won't tell me."

"Nope. Not yet, at least."

"Ted…"

"Jade, please… Just… Just drop it."

"Fine. But I better get an explanation soon."

"You will. I promise." Ted stared out the window unhappily for a few moments before looking at her again. "Jade… I hate to ask, but… We're going to need another singer…"

She slammed on the brakes. "No frickin way, Ted. No. No, no, no, and _no_."

"Aw, but Jade! You have a wonderful voice. Please? For me. We need someone who will be able to sing a high tenor to match Zeb."

"Isn't that an alto?"

"Uh, yeah… But altos can sing tenor, too!" He looked at her with pleading eyes.

"Ugh, Theodore, don't make that face." She glanced away but couldn't stop looking at his pleading face for long. "Gah! _Fine_. I'll do it." Almost as an afterthought, she added, "But I won't like it."

Ted kissed her cheek and grinned. "You won't regret it."

She gave him a stunned look, her face turning crimson beneath her fur before she smiled. "All right, all right… Now, come on, direct me to this place of yours."

_.~*~._

Jade looked at the snow-covered _Hall_ with wide eyes. "Wow… It looks beautiful…"

"You should see it in the spring." He took her paw and led her down the paths to the cabins that had been carved out by shovels. "First stop, Fred's place."

So on they went to the three cabins and gathered the instruments, laughing and talking to each other about the _Hall_. Ted hadn't allowed Jade into the cabins, however, stating it was not his place to allow her in without Fred and Zeb's approval. And as for his cabin, it wasn't ready for her to come in just yet.

"After I do some spring cleaning, okay?" he spoke, locking the door to his cabin and picking up his guitar case. He took Zeb's fiddle case from her, allowing her to carry Fred's harmonica case.

"You confuse me, you know that?" She shivered slightly. "Let's just get back to the car, okay?"

"Yeah, yeah. Let's." He led the way down the paths again, now sporting a new pair of '60s glasses, the lenses green instead of his usual purple.

"I don't know why you wear those. They hide your eyes."

"I wear them because…they make me look sexy."

She burst into loud laughter at that. "Sexy? I don't think so. You look like Elton John, and I don't want to be dating Elton John."

"Rawr. They're my image, okay? I prefer them to no glasses… Been wearing them for almost thirty years now…"

"Geez. How old are you again?"

"Uh… forty-seven…"

She blinked in surprise. "Really? I thought you were younger. You look younger than that auburn bear and the brown one."

"Heh, Fred's a year younger than me. Zeb's almost three years younger. Or is it four…?"

"He looks like he's fifty with that beard of his."

"And I look younger?"

"Mhm. Around thirty-nine."

"I wish." He frowned and paused, turning his head to look at her. "That's… not a problem, is it? I mean, if you think I'm an old creeper, then I'll leave you alone. Won't bother you again…"

"Oh, Teddy Bear…" She leaned forward and kissed his lips. "Does it look like I think you're an old creeper?"

"Uh… no…" He stared at her with wide eyes.

"Besides, if I thought you were, I would have kicked your ass by now." She laughed and lightly shoved him. "Go on. I'm cold."

"Gah, sorry, sorry. I'm goin', I'm goin." He chuckled lightly and led the way back to the lime green charger. He waited until she opened the doors before carefully setting the instruments on the back seat and then climbed into the passenger seat.

Jade got in and rubbed her arms for warmth before starting the engine. To her surprise, it wouldn't start. "Oh, for the love of Patriam," she mumbled, using the name of the goddess of the home. She tried starting it again, but it wouldn't start. "Godsdamn it!" she growled, trying a third time. "What the hell!"

"Easy, Jade. I'll take a look at it." He got out of the car and went around to the front. Jade popped the hood and Ted lifted it, putting the stand up so it didn't fall onto his head. As he stared at the engine, he blinked. What the heck had he gotten himself into? He knew nothing about engines, other than they made the car run. But, he had wanted to impress Jade. He had a sinking feeling that told him she was going to laugh at him.

Jade watched him for a few minutes before getting out of the car, raising an eyebrow as she watched him simply stare at the engine. "You have no idea what you're doing, do you…?"

He sighed. "No."

"Oh, Ted… Why'd you say you did?"

"To impress you…" He scratched the back of his head nervously.

She laughed and kissed his cheek. "So cute. Come on, we'll give it one more try. Maybe something's stuck in the exhaust vent."

"I'll check that out." He went around back while she shut the hood and got back into the car.

He knelt down in front of the exhaust vent and peered inside. "Go ahead and try it!"

She nodded and attempted.

One moment Ted was kneeling in the snow, the next, he had a mouse attached to his face. "ACK!" he shrieked, throwing it away.

Jade got out and looked at him. "Ted, what's wrong? Your face is covered in soot! And why is there a print of a mouse on your face? Apparently a mouse climbed in there to be warm…"

"You have a very high shriek. I almost mistook you for a girl." She chuckled.

"No, I don't!" He gave her a horrified look. "Don't tell anyone that!"

"Oh, maybe I will, maybe I won't. We'll have to see, won't we?" She laughed again and helped him up. "C'mon, big guy. Let's get going."

_.~*~._

"What took you guys so long?" Zeb questioned, helping them unload the Charger.

"Well, the car wouldn't start. Ted got it fixed, though." Jade glanced at him and winked.

"Oh, very funny. Ted, fix a car? Ha! He is mechanically challenged!"

"I am not!"

"Are, too."

"Am not!"

"You're in denial."

"Zoober, I'm warning you…"

"Girls, girls, you're both pretty. Now hush." Jade chuckled darkly. "It looks like I'm singing with you at this little…concert."

"Really? Well, uh… That's cool, I guess. Can you sing?"

"Obviously, if Ted asked me to."

Zeb frowned and looked at his leader questioningly.

"She's singing with us, and that's final. She can sing Tennessee's notes."

"We'll still need someone to sing Trixie's notes, though."

"We could ask Tasha. She sounds like her sister when she sings."

"Hm… she does. I suppose we could ask her, but-"

"Would she be willin'?"

Jade rolled her eyes. "It's just the thing she needs. She needs to get out there again. Regain her lost confidence. Besides, she only has a few weeks before she loses her job, so she also needs to get back to work."

Ted blinked. "Loses her job?"

"Well, she's been using up all her stored sick leave, and she only has a few weeks left of it. If she doesn't return by then, then she's out of a job. Apparently, that's the hospital rules."

"That's pathetic!"

"I know it, you know it, and she knows it. She's just so damn _stubborn_."

"You know, Jade, you don't have to talk behind my back." Tasha said softly, standing in the doorway.

Jade spun around. "Uh, hi, Tash…"

"Don't bother. I know I have to go back to work. And I'll pay you back for the time we bothered you with by having us here. We'll leave this afternoon."

"Now wait a minute!"

"No, I'm aware that we overstayed our visit, and I apologize for it. I am sorry, Jade, but what's done is done. I'll pay you back. I promise."

"I don't want your money!"

Tasha rolled her eyes.

"I took you in because you needed help! You needed to recuperate! That's what friends do!" Jade growled at her, eye twitching. "Now, you stop that! We've just made progress with you!"

"And if I don't go now, I never will! Jordan's behind in school and it's _my_ fault! I know we did homeschooling at first, but he needs to go to kindergarten! To be with other kids."

"Damn it, Tasha!"

"You won't change my mind. Now go on and do that concert you were talking about. I'll wake James and we'll start getting on our way."

"You are so stubborn!"

"Mhm. Now get going."

Jade let out a frustrated growl and kicked the railing before turning to look at the two males. "Well? You just going to stand there? Come on, we have to practice." She didn't look at Tasha as she stalked past her.

Ted and Zeb shared a glance before silently following the black she-bear inside.

Tasha stood on the porch alone for a few minutes before going to sit down on the rocking chair. It wasn't long before she started crying.

_.~*~._

As they finished singing, there was a small roar of applause from the gathered children and staff of the Children's Ward. The band and Jade had sung _We Wish You a Merry Christmas_, _White Christmas_, _Jingle Bells_, and other common holiday songs to the children and they had a grand time.

Trixie, surprisingly, had shown up, having heard them singing from Tennessee's room, and played on the piano. But as soon as everything was done, she had gone back.

After the final song, the party broke up, and the janitors entered to clean up the gathering room.

As Ted, Fred, and Zeb put their instruments away, Ted chuckled and looked at Jade. "Told you ya wouldn't regret it."

"I must admit, I had fun," she laughed. "I may not like country, but I can see why Beary and Jewel like you so much."

The males froze at the mention of the two cubs.

"Guys, come on. Would they want us to be sad? No. Those two were always, well, most of the time, very happy. And hyper. Very hyper. Though, not as hyper as that day that Beary got into my energy drinks as I was dropping him off at the _Hall_…"

Zeb and Fred blinked, looking at her. "Wait, that was _you_?! You're the one who untied us!"

"Mhm. I have the entire thing recorded and saved on a DVD." She chuckled and laughed. "Oh, that was a fun day. I had to lock my energy drinks away after that."

"I imagine. He was crazy insane. He pushed me in the pond and stood on top of me!" Zeb laughed.

"Hey, he used me as a trampoline," Fred smirked.

Ted scowled. "He tied me upside down in a tree."

That sent the other two into a fit of girlish giggles.

"Oh, hush. It was hilarious, Theodore."

"Meh."

"So, you boys up for a round of drinks? I feel like getting drunk tonight. Well, not too drunk, but drunk enough. After the events of today…"

"I don't drink," Zeb said softly.

"Oh, I remember now. Okay, you can have water. What about the rest of you?"

"Well, uh, I suppose we can." Ted glanced at his brother.

"Great. I'll take you to this awesome bar in town. Let's go."

_.~*The Country Bears*~._

Kaspian sat beside his sister's bed. They had just brought her out of surgery recovery, and she now had her own room in the ICU. He himself had a mild concussion and was supposed to be back at their apartment resting, but he wanted to see his sister and be there when she awoke.

Silent tears rolled down his cheeks as he mulled over what the doctors had said. His sister could be permanently paralyzed. It was too early to tell. There was too much swelling for them to be sure. For now, though, she couldn't feel anything below her waist. Kaspian was terrified for her. He gave her paw a gentle squeeze. He had almost lost her today… If he had just moved faster, she wouldn't be lying in this bed.

As for the person who had done this… Cady. He didn't know what he would've done to her had his sister died. Cady had told him that both cubs were still alive, that she would help him, but only if he listened to her. It was so frustrating, relying on someone he barely knew who had also almost killed his sister. However, it was better than finding her "base" and going in there, guns blazing, and killing everyone. Cady had left him a note telling him that the boss of the whole operation had the base loaded with C4, and if any cops showed up, he would destroy the place and everyone inside, including himself.

For now, Kaspian had to wait. And he loathed it.

The door opened behind him and two figures—one thin, the other quite large—entered the room. "Kaspian?" Henry Dixon Taylor said softly, walking over to him.

Kaspian took one look at his uncle, got up, and hugged him just moments before bursting into tears. He was so miserable.

"Shh," Henry said softly, holding him close and rubbing his back. "It'll be all right… Kenya's a fighter. She'll get through this. I know she will."

"I can't lose her, Uncle! I just can't!"

"I know, I know. Don't worry, young one. She'll be all right. I know she will. She's a strong one, just like her father. You both are."

He sighed and sat up, wiping his eyes. "Uncle, there's something you need to know. The reason why this happened…"

"You don't have to tell me if you don't want to."

"I have to. Uncle, we… We found them. We're not exactly sure where they are, but they're in the city, and we're very close to finding them. I probably shouldn't be telling you this, but…Beary's alive. And he's with Jewel…"

Henry removed his arms from him and looked at him with wide eyes. "W-What?" His son? His little Beary was alive?!

Al looked at them in surprise. "Beary's alive? But, how?"

"I don't know, but he is. They're together, but that's all we know. For now, at least."

Kaspian jumped as Henry swayed, eyes fluttering, and then fell to the floor in a dead faint.

_.~*The Country Bears*~._

Zeb rubbed his nose at the scent of Honey. He could feel the crave begin, but he fought against it. No way was he going to give in. Not again. Besides, it was more fun watching Jade laugh and talk to Fred and Ted while drunk. The brothers had only had mild drinks, but she had had a heavy-duty drink. He made sure to remember to make her some black coffee when they got back to her place.

"And so I said, 'Buddy, you better move that paw before you lose it!'" Jade cackled, an evil glint in her eye.

Ted burst into loud laughter as he downed another shot of the sweet liquid. "Damn, girl, you're evil."

"You know it." She laughed darkly and downed another shot before ordering another.

"Uh, Jade, don't you think you're drinking a little too much? I mean, come on…" Zeb had let his hair out of pony tail to try and disguise himself and he wasn't wearing his hat, but Ted's sunglasses. Fred was wearing Zeb's hat, and Ted, well, he went without glasses. Zeb's hair hung a little past his shoulders.

"The more the merrier is what I say."

"Jade, Zeb's right. You're taking some pretty heavy stuff there. Enough is enough. C'mon." Ted pleaded.

"None of that, Theodore. I haven't gotten good and drunk in a long time."

Ted growled and grabbed her paw. "Jade, that's enough! No more. One or two drinks are fine, but four? No way. Come on, we're taking you home right now."

"Ah, you're no fun."

"Yup. C'mon. Upsy-daisy."

"I'm not a chi-urffff." She barfed all over Ted's lap and legs.

"GAH!" The lead singer was mortified.

Fred and Zeb couldn't help but laugh.

Zeb's phone started to ring soon after, but he didn't hear it. It wasn't until they got back to Jade's and got Ted into the shower, that he heard it go off again.

"Hullo?"

"_Zeb? Zeb, it's Henry… Beary's alive… He's alive! Kenya and Kaspian _saw_ him! He's alive!_"


	23. Chapter Twenty-Two

**.~*Chapter Twenty-Two*~.**

Beary and Dex silently walked through the trees, still in sight of the cabin. Derek watched them from the porch, and Jewel was up laying down in the loft. Lei had convinced Derek to let her take Roxi down to the base for an ultra sound, knowing that Thrasher wouldn't dare hurt someone who was pregnant. Hurt the baby, lose money. He also wouldn't try hurting the only doctor on base, especially when it was nearing time to deliver the new cubs. She had told Derek and Dex to remain up at the cabin as protection for the youngens.

"Can't believe she talked me into letting her go alone…" Dex muttered, annoyed.

"I can't believe that you are going to be a father." Beary sighed. "At least if you're up here, T-Thrasher… can't use you to breed… I don't think he will, either… humans… take too long to give birth… three months longer than bears…"

Dex stopped and looked at his kid brother unhappily. "This is all my fault… I should have stopped them from taking you and Jewel."

"You would have been killed if you had tried to stop them! Dex, you're my only brother… I don't want you hurt because of me."

"Beary, come on, dude. I'm the older one. It's my fault."

"If we hadn't been downstairs, Dex, you wouldn't have known about it. My father and the Stones might have been killed if Jewel and I had stayed in our rooms! In the end, things worked out for the best…"

"You're just a kid!"

"Who is now the father of who knows how many cubs!" he growled in return. "I'm not a child anymore, Dex! I haven't been one for a long time."

"Beary…"

"You're going to be a father, too! And married!" He sighed. "But… I'm happy. I'm happy that I have Jewel, Derek, Lei… Roxi, and you, Dex… I'm surrounded by people who love me and Jewel. Jewel needs all the support she can get… after what happened... If it means I can protect her… keep her safe, then I will do whatever T-Thrasher wishes of me. Even… Even it if means… sleeping with him…" He looked down, embarrassed.

"I won't allow that to happen, Beary. Not anymore." Dex was furious when he realized just what the massive grizzly had been doing to his baby brother. Warping his mind into a helpless being. He vowed to never let the monster hurt his brother again.

The cub closed his eyes and whispered something Dex never thought he would hear. "It… it upset me at first. Hurt. But… But I think I… **_liked_** it."

The human's eyes widened in shock. Beary's mind had definitely become warped. Just how often had the grizzly taken him into bed with him? "You did not. What he did to you was uncalled for, Beary. No one should go through that. Especially not you."

"What makes me so special?"

"Because you're my brother, and I'll be damned if I let something like that happen again."

"You can't stop it… I don't know why people find me so darn sexy."

Dex couldn't help but crack a small smile at that. He sighed and looked down for a moment. "You never said what happened to her."

"I… wasn't there for her… I… went hunting with Derek… T-Thrasher showed up… a-and…" He trembled, tears rolling down his cheeks.

Dex knelt down, looking at him worriedly. "Come on. Tell me."

"He… He raped her… and beat her… bit and clawed her… That's why she has so many scars…"

Dex gestured for his brother to sit down beside him, holding him close as he did so.

Beary went on to tell him about that day, how he had returned from hunting to find Jewel handcuffed to the couch crying her heart out as blood spilled out of her, how he had gone after the bastard for revenge, and how he had cut off something precious to the massive grizzly.

Dex couldn't hold back his laughter. "That was you? Nice job, bro. He was sporting a sumo-style bandage. Hilarious."

Beary cracked a small smile. "I barely remember that, though… only from what Lei and Derek told me… He hurt me, too… That's why I'm having trouble walking… By… by hurting him, I'm no better than he is…"

"Beary, you are ten million times better than that monster. What you did guaranteed that he can never rape another. You've saved people, Beary."

"He's going to be furious…"

"Hey, I'm here now, Beary. I won't let him hurt you. I promise." He pulled his younger bear brother closer and gently hugged him. "I've missed you, Beary… I love you, little brother."

Beary froze for a moment before returning the embrace tenfold, slowly starting to cry. He had missed Dex immensely, and hearing Dex actually admit that he loved him… accepted him… It was too much. "I… I love you, too, Dex."

_.~*The Country Bears*~._

Zeb blinked in surprise, hearing Henry's excited voice on the other side of the phone. Beary was alive? He looked at the others, who were currently forcing Jade to lay on the couch to work off all the honey she had drunk.

"No! Let me go, Theodore!"

"Jade, you got so drunk that you barfed on me!"

She started giggling at that. "You're so cute."

His eyes widened. "You really are drunk," he said coolly.

"No I'm notttttttt. I'm fineeeeeeeeee. Wah, you don't care!"

Ted blinked and shook his head. "Jade…" He looked back at Fred. "Could you make her some black coffee?"

"Sure." And off went the larger Bedderhead.

Ted looked at Zeb next, frowning. "Well, if you're not gonna be any help, Zeb…"

"Beary'salive," the fiddler said quickly.

"Huh?"

"Beary's alive… Kaspian and Kenya… They saw him… with Jewel…"

Jade burst into tears at Beary and Jewel's names. "I love them so much!" she wailed. "Why'd they have to go and get caught?!"

Ted simply stared at her. This was a side of Jade he'd not seen before. A few minutes later, she was laughing loudly like a maniac. He backed away, startled, but the moment he moved, Jade clung to him tightly. "Don't go, Teddy Bear. I don't wanna be alone." She snuggled up close to him, kissing his neck.

Zeb wished he had a camera. This was golden. "Uh, Henry? Ted's gettin' mugged by Jade…"

"_Well, tell him to be careful then. I'm gonna head out. Talk to you later._"

"Uh, yeah…" Zeb closed his phone and returned it to his jacket pocket. "Havin' fun, Teddy?" he laughed.

"Oh, shut up. She's drunk." He just hoped that in her drunken state, Jade wouldn't mention their relationship.

"You're blushin'! Ahahaha. I'm goin' to look for a camera." Laughing, he wandered off.

Ted's eyes widened as Jade crawled on top of him, pushing him down against the couch. "J-Jade! W-What are you…"

"Shh…" She straddled him, giggling as she kissed him again and again on the lips, drawing him into her trap as he began to kiss her back. She went for her jeans… and fell asleep on top of him.

Zeb returned, eyes widening. "T-Ted… Geez, man." He chuckled lightly and snapped a photo. "Ah, beautiful."

"Zeb!" Ted growled at him and sighed. "Just help me wake her up." He was slightly uncomfortable. They had almost been found out! "Once we get some coffee in her, then you guys can go back to the hospital. I… I'll stay and watch her."

The fiddler frowned. "Visiting hours are over, Ted. We won't be let back in. I am _not_ ridin' the back of Fred's Harley, either."

The black bear sighed. "Well… I… I suppose… Ah, we'll have to ask Jade. This is her place, after all." He looked at Jade, who was snoring on top of him. "J-Jade? Come on, wake up." He poked her, trying to rouse her. "Come on, upsy-daisy!"

Jade groaned and snuggled up closer to him. "Don wanna…" she mumbled.

"Jade… come on, get up…"

"Maybe you should just let her sleep it off, Ted. Fred and I can just sleep on the floor. We'll be gone in the mornin'."

Ted frowned and sighed. "Well, there's no other choice, is there… All right. I'll carry her to her room and find you a blanket."

"Ted, you realize we have fur, right…?"

"Oh, yeah… uh… okay. Just go tell Fred." He waited until Zeb was gone before carefully pushing Jade off of him and picking her up in his arms. Quietly, he carried her to her room, frowning and wondering if she should change clothes. Probably not a good idea. She'd kill him if he helped out with that. However, she had gotten vomit on them. Closing his eyes, he pulled her clothes off and took them to the laundry hamper. Sighing, he then covered her with a blanket and left her door open so she could make it to the bathroom to vomit if she needed to. He then walked out to the living room.

Fred glanced at him. "You sure this is okay?"

"What else are we going to do? We can't go back to the hospital, and we all won't fit on your Harley, not to mention the road's too slick to take a cab all the way to Pendleton."

"We really need a hospital, or at least a clinic, in Pendleton…"

"I know. Oh well. Now's not the time to deal with it. Get some sleep so we can be on our way early. We're only stayin' the night. No food."

"Aw, but Ted…"

"No, Fred. Jade doesn't even know we're here, and neither does Trixie."

Fred and Zeb sighed. "This is goin' to be a fun night," Zeb muttered, finding a spot on the floor.

Fred also found a spot, lying on the floor near the door.

Ted sat on a chair by the window, just staring outside at the falling snow. "Another Christmas without him…" he said softly.

The fiddler and harmonica player both glanced up at their fearless leader with sad expressions. Every _Country Bear_ knew how much their leader cared about Henry's son. Even if Ted tried not to show it, there were times when the emotions would just slip through. Ted loved Beary like his own son. When Beary and Jewel were kidnapped, next to their parents, Ted was hit the hardest.

"Ted… We're goin' to find him. Both of them. They'll come home," Fred spoke. "Zeb told us earlier that they saw them in person. Who knows, maybe they now know where they are, brother. It could be only days before we see them again."

"But will it be the same? Will they be the same? Think of where they were taken… what they've been put through… Gods… And what of Big Al? Think about it, how's he goin' to react to seein' his sister for the first time in fifty years?" Ted looked out the window sadly, not letting them see the tear that streaked his cheek.

"Oh, Ted… No matter what happens, we'll be there for them. We're all a family," Zeb smiled. "We'll help them, bring 'em back to the light."

"I hope so…" the singer replied. "Go on and sleep now, Zeb… I'll see you in the mornin'." Ted got off the chair and curled up in a corner, hiding the photo album he had snatched from Jade's coffee table. Quietly, he waited until the others had fallen asleep before opening the album and flipped through the pages sadly.

Picture after picture of Jade and the missing cubs having snowball fights, mud fights, building snowmen, sledding, snowboarding, just a little of everything. Tears rolled down Ted's eyes as he studied the pictures, and eventually he cried himself to sleep, arms wrapped around the album.

_.~*The Country Bears*~._

"Jewel?" Beary quietly walked up the stairs, struggling slightly and digging his claws into the walls to hoist himself up.

She didn't look at him, but acknowledged his presence with a flick of her ear.

He frowned and crawled over to the bed, placing a paw on her shoulder. "I… I brought you some food, Gem…"

She flicked her ear again.

He whimpered and set the food down in front of her. "Please, Jewel, eat something. Please… For me."

She sighed and sat up, picking up a steaming hot biscuit and taking a few tentative bites before picking up another one and holding it out to him.

"Jewel… Oh, all right." He smiled softly and took a bite. "Come on, Jewel, eat up. Do you want me to stay?"

She nodded and held his paw, leaning back against him.

He chuckled and rested his head on hers, wrapping a paw around her shoulder. "Thank you."

She squeezed his paw in acknowledgement. Oh, how she wanted to speak to him, but words wouldn't form. She felt so empty inside, like her mind had been lost, destroyed… She was miserable, but how could she tell him?

"Jewel… you know you can tell me anything, right?"

She nodded, but still didn't speak.

He whimpered and looked at her. "I… I wish I could read your mind…" He held her close and gently kissed her forehead. "Then I could make you see how much I love you. I promise… I never will let him touch you again."

She looked up at him, eyes shifting slightly. She leaned back against him, snuffling and cuddling him tightly.

He held her close, smiling happily. He loved her so much, no matter what Thrasher did to her. Thrasher would never change what he felt about his lovely Gem. His partner. Best friend. Lover. Fellow Junior _Country Bear_. Soul mate.

Jewel looked back at him curiously. What had she done to deserve his love? His passion… Everything about him… What had she done to deserve him at all? Why did he love her? Then she remembered his talk when he had taken her as his own.

**Flashback**

_He opened his eyes halfway and looked at her, revealing the pain within them that was only rivaled by sheer determination and fierce love. He lifted one arm shakily and placed it on her cheek. "I… made y-you… and Tenne…ssee…a pro-promise…" he whispered._

_She looked at him in surprise and confusion._

_He took a deep breath and spoke in a strong voice. "I will never let anything happen to you."_

_She shook her head. "I won't take your choices away from you, C-Bear. We'll get out of this! We'll go home!"_

_He chuckled softly and rubbed her cheek with his thumb. "You… don't under…stand."_

_Jewel blinked. "Yes, I do! I know that there are other girls that want you, and they'll never get a chance if I take it away! We aren't ready for this! We can't…" She diverted her gaze. "You're the guy everyone wants… The cutest boy in school… I'm just the one… I don't deserve the right to take you away from that…" She didn't feel the shifting of the bed as Beary sat up once again, albeit very slowly, until he pressed his lips against hers. Before she had a chance to respond to the kiss, Beary pulled away, leaving her somewhat breathless. His kisses always left her feeling as if she were flying through the air. He made her feel safe and secure; it made her feel as if nothing could go wrong._

_"You're wrong… Gem. I'm the one that… isn't worthy of you," he whispered. "You're the only one… I want… You're the one I chose…" He nuzzled her gently and softly spoke the words he had always know were true deep down, but had tried to hide for so long. "I love you, Jewel. I am never going to let anyone take you away." He suddenly looked at her, worried. "T-That is… If you'll have me…"_

_Her forest green eyes widened in surprise. He loved her? Was she dreaming? She knew that she loved him—she had known for a long time—she just didn't expect him to love her back._

_"J-Jewel?"_

_Jewel didn't know how to respond. Her mind was reeling with a million thoughts, all jumbled up and confused. Her eyes filled with tears and she looked away. She was afraid. What was going to happen to her? What was to come? What would happen to Beary? What would life be like from now on once they did it?_

_Beary took on a hurt expression that quickly turned to confusion as Jewel slowly pushed him back down on the bed. He didn't have time to question her before she wrapped her arms around his neck and hungrily pressed her lips against his._

_Pulling away, she looked at his shocked expression with nothing but pure love in her eyes. "I love you, too, C-Bear. You're the only one I want," she said softly, rubbing her nose against his and looked him directly in the eyes. "If you're sure, then I want you to take me, Beary Taylor. You're the one I want to spend my life with, even if… if it means we're going to… to be forced to breed…" She studied his expression for a moment before repeating what she said as she unbuttoned her coat all the way. "Take me, Beary Taylor. Take me as your bonded mate."_

**End Flashback**

Oh, how she wished she could get her voice to work, just so she could tell him how much she loved him, that love growing each and every moment. Nothing meant more to her than him. She squeezed his paw and pulled him down into the bed with her, simply snuggling up close to him, purring softly and looking into his hazel eyes gently.

He looked back up at her, holding her close as she got comfortable in his arms, and gently stroked her cheek with his paw. "I know, Jewel… I know. I love you, too, my Gem. I always will."

Tears rolled down her cheeks as she kissed his lips and rested her head against his, holding his paw tightly upon his chest.

_.~*The Country Bears*~._

Al looked at Henry, filled with a mixture of emotions. They had just learned that Kenya was paralyzed from the waist down. It wasn't certain yet if it would be permanent or not, but things weren't looking good for the youngest Hathworth.

Kaspian was pulling his hair out of his head in frustration. He had been taken down to the precinct for questioning, and was forced to reveal what had happened, and that he had let Cady go. Needless to say, he was in a heap of trouble, but at least he had managed to stop them going up the mountain in pursuit of Cady, which would have been extremely dangerous, not just to them, but to those captured inside the base.

Henry was trying his hardest not to let his emotions get out of control as he looked around the room "Wh-why... why d-did this h-happen... When..." He stopped. It was so very like how his beloved had been shot and lost her life... They couldn't lose Kenya, too...

"You know how... She was tryin' to get back Beary and Jewel... And was shot because of it..." Al answered softly. "I... wonder if they saw Lei..."

"You know what I mean Al... I meant how come they weren't recognized when they arrived here? Only one I think would know is Kenya... but..." he looked unhappily at Al.

"It's been months, Henry... and not to mention no one expected them to be anywhere near the city..."

"I know, but surely there would have been notices... to keep an eye out for anyone looking like them."

"Or... something happened to them to make them unrecognizable..."

"But yet Kenya knew it was them... if they were disguised if their fur was dyed or something she might not have known who they were... I just want my boy home... I want him safe..." he sighed heavily and hung his head.

Al got up and moved around the bed, placing a paw on Henry's shoulder and squeezing gently. "I know, Hen. Believe me, I know... But think, someone obviously recognized them if they called Kenya and Kaspian..."

"I know... have they found out who it was?" he glanced at the bed. "And... what about the bitch that did this?

Al shrugged. "I guess that's what Kaspian got pulled away for."

"Well I hope they've got her, I want to see this bitch. How the fug did she think she could get away with shooting an agent?!"

"Calm down, Hen. Getting angry about it won't help anyone."

"I know... but it's just that... she could've harmed the cubs, too! What if Beary and Jewel had been hurt by her?!"

"I don't know, Henry, I don't know."

He whimpered and sat down on the seat, his head in his hands.

"Come on, Henry. Visiting hours are almost over... Let's head over to the hotel..."

"D-don't want to l-leave her... Wh-what if th-they come back to finish the job? Kassie's not here... anyone could sneak in and finish her."

"She has a security guard positioned outside the door, Henry. They'll have background checks and everything. Sitting here and worrying won't help anyone."

He sighed, nodded, and got up, giving Kenya a last concerned look. "Come home soon... Ursute, please watch over her... and the children..." he whimpered, walking slowly towards the door.

Alan echoed his prayer and closed the door behind them.

_.~*~._

Henry finished a small prayer to the gods. As he sat in his bed, he looked down at a photograph. It was of Helen and Beary all those years ago. They both looked so happy. He hoped that his son was all right, that Beary knew he was being looked for; both him and Jewel.

A few tears rolled down his cheeks as he held the picture close. "Honeydew... please watch over the cubs... please, I'm... I feel so lost... please keep an eye on them..." he whispered, giving the photo a kiss and set it on his bedside table. He couldn't stop thinking of all that had happened. He sniffled and coughed a moment, mopping his eyes with his kerchief.

Al watched him quietly and frowned. "I'm sure she's with them right now, Henry, watching them and keeping them safe."

Henry looked up at him, a haunted look on his face "I... hope you're right Alan... I really hope you're right..."

"Trust me, Henry, she is. She wouldn't dare leave him. She gave her life for him..."

Henry sighed. "I-I know... it's just... I feel so helpless... I... I promised I'd stay with him forever... a month before... Helen was... I-I feel like such a failure to him..."

Al frowned and sighed, not sure what to say. So he just listened.

"Helen had pneumonia... I took her to this private place... all of us. And while the nurses were helping her, me and Beary played in the pool. Well they called it a bath. After a while he told me he missed me and kept asking why I had to disappear all the time. I eventually told him I'd stay with him forever. He begged me never to leave him, and what do I do? I don't look for him. For so many years. And then all this happens. I'm a terrible father and a useless bear."

Al growled and bared his teeth. "That's not true! You were dealt a bad card, Henry! You thought that he would be safer with someone else!"

"I should have been there for him! I promised him!"

"You were scared! You thought you would endanger him! I may not have agreed with your methods, but he was raised safe and sound."

Henry hung his head and finally nodded, sighing deeply

"Look, I know you regret it, but what's done is done. You can't change the past."

"You have no idea how much I wish I could change things from the past. Adam would still be behind bars... and H-Helen and B-Beary would've been s-safe!" he whimpered. Henry turned on his side, his old face hollow and sad.

"I know, Henry, I know. I wish Helen was still here, but think about it: she's watching over us all. She's never left."

Henry nodded and sighed. "I know... I just wish I could see her again."

"You can. She lives on in Beary, Henry. Now that we know he's alive, it'll just be a matter of time before he's home in your arms. Try to get some sleep, all right?"

Henry nodded. "Hope things look better from now on. Good night, Al." He turned off his lamp and settled down, sighing as his eyes slowly closed.

_Henry looked out to the stars, smiling. He loved this part of the _Hall_, his and Helen's favorite place in the whole world._

_The stars seemed to move and take form... a winged bear floated down towards him, smiling. Hair brown and snow white, face white cream, and fur a light brown, Helen Taylor still looked beautiful. "Hello, Henry," she said softly, floating down towards him._

_He blinked and stared in wonder. "H-Helen? Honeydew?" he reached out to her, wanting to know if she was really there, that it wasn't his imagination._

_Helen settled in next to him, touching his face lovingly and holding his paw to her cheek. "I'm really here, Henry. It may be a dream, but it's the only way you can see me." She looked into his eyes and leaned forward, ready to kiss his lips if he wanted it._

_Which, of course, he did. Henry pulled her into his arms and kissed her tenderly. He'd missed Helen so much. He nuzzled her, never wanting to let her go._

_Helen let her tears flow as she held him close. "I've missed you, Candy Tush," she whispered, kissing his face over and over again._

_His face flushed with embarrassment at the dreaded nickname._

_She started laughing loudly and kissed his nose. "You always blush at that nickname."_

_"Of all the names you could choose, Honeydew. How do I have a candy tush?"_

_"Well... You're sweet like candy... and your butt is adorable, so..."_

_Henry let out a strange, strangled squeaky noise and went redder._

_Helen laughed and nuzzled him, tucking her wings behind her and curling up against him. "I miss being at the _Hall_..."she whispered, staring up at the stars._

_He snuggled against her, kissing her gently. "I miss you... It's so strange, you not being there..." he nuzzled her and nibbled softly on her ear._

_"Never thought of moving on?"_

_"Not a chance, no way, no how."_

_Helen frowned. "I don't want you being alone, Henry, I really don't. You don't deserve to be alone. You need someone to be with."_

_"Only person I ever want to be with is you. I don't ever want anyone else."_

_Helen cupped his cheeks and smiled. "I know, Henry, I know. I just don't want to force you to be unhappy."_

_"Never be unhappy knowing you're here."_

_She kissed Henry's lips and rested her head on his chest. "You know why I came, don't you?"_

_He whimpered and nuzzled her, nodding_

_"They're alive, Henry. Alive and together." She frowned slightly, not sure if she should tell him the next part._

_"But...?"_

_Helen took his paw and looked into his eyes. "Henry, there's another... with them..."_

_"Another?"_

_"Another cub."_

_"What? What do you mean?"_

_"Keep calm, but... you... you're going to be a grandfather."_

_"Wh-what?!... J-Jewel is...?"_

_"Not just her. I know what they forced Beary to do." Helen looked down, trembling slightly. "They will suffer greatly in _Favum_..."_

_Henry looked at her, frowning._

_"They forced him to break his physical bond..." She growled dangerously for a moment, before calming down. "But yes, Jewel is pregnant. She won't know for a few more months."_

_"I swear I'll get hold of the lot of them! They'll pay for this! Including that bitch that shot Kenya!" he growled darkly, his face full of anger._

_Helen backed away, startled. How was she going to tell him that Jewel got pregnant through a willing "sleep"?_

_Seeing the look on his beloveds face, Henry calmed himself, looking like a puppy with its tail between its legs. He put his head in his paws._

_"H-Henry... their cub was formed... when they willingly made love. A few days ago..." she whispered._

_He looked up at her, eyes wide._

_"Th-they what?"_

_She nodded and touched his forehead, showing him what happened, how Beary and Jewel talked on the porch, and the events that followed._

_Henry's eyes went huge as he witnessed this. He shut them, trying to block out the sounds._

_Helen cut off where they were actually doing it, then picked up the memory afterward, where they talked some more, and Jewel shunned him after learning that he might have an STD._

_Henry whimpered loudly._

_"He does not have an STD. He's safe from that, Henry. The guy who had them kidnapped, he makes sure none of his... slaves... has any kind of sickness. Don't worry about that. Jewel found that out later on."_

_"Y-you're sure? And who is this guy? You've seen what's gone on. Who is he, and who are the ones to look out for?"_

_Helen looked out at the distance, frowning as the sky began to lighten. "No point in telling you, Henry. My time grows short, and you won't remember any of this..."_

_"Please, just one name... please. Please don't go... don't leave me, Honeydew."_

_"I have to, Henry. You won't remember this. At all..."_

_"Please... please, Helen."_

_She whispered something silent... and then she was gone._

Henry blinked and found himself back in bed, looking around. He was in the hotel. He could still feel his wife with him… could still faintly smell her, which dissipated quickly as he grew more awake.

Al glanced at him. "You slept through breakfast, Henry."

He glanced at Alan, slightly confused. "Did I? What time is it?"

"Ten. I got you a bagel and some juice, though."

"Thanks." He slowly got out of bed and stretched, hearing his bones have a good creak and crack.

Al raised an eyebrow. "Geez, Hen. I'm ten years older than you, and my bones don't even do that. You're not drinking enough milk."

"I drink enough. It's just this damn bed..."

"Uh-huh."

"And I eat enough fish."

Al raised an eyebrow. "I haven't seen you eat much of anything in months, Henry."

He just growled and wandered over to the shower room. "Al, I'm fine. I know it doesn't seem like I'm eating much..."

"Because you're worried about Beary. You did the same thing when he was kidnapped last year."

Henry grumbled and growled.

"You barely ate a damn thing, Henry. You lost almost thirty pounds!"

"I am eating, Al, yeesh. You spying on me or something...?" Henry sighed, "I'm sorry, Al. I know you're worried." He ruffled up his fur and grumbled as it fluffed up, combing it back down with his claws.

"Well, you are my brother-in-law, Henry. I've lost so much of my family. I'm not losing you, too." Al looked down at the table, hiding the pain in his eyes.

Henry walked over to him and put his paw on Al's shoulder, looking at him. "You won't ever lose me, Al. I'm sorry about being a jerk."

Al glanced up at him for a moment. "I know... It's okay, Henry. Don't worry about big ol' me. Come on, let's see if Kaspian is available for lunch in about an hour or two."

"Okay... and why can't I worry about you? You're my brother, Al, as far as I'm concerned. Hopefully Kaspian might be... maybe he might have some news..."

Al nodded. "Eh, I'm an old geezer, Henry... I've had my fun..."

"You're not an old geezer and never will be"

"Henry, I'm sixty-one. I'm old."

"You've not hit the big 7-0 or the big 8-0 yet. You got years to go, Al."

"I don't plan on living that long, Henry. I've had a lonely life..." He shrugged.

Henrys ears went down and he whined. "But... why didn't you ever marry? Or adopt? Or anything, Al?"

"I have my reasons."

Henry went silent at that. Okay, Al didn't want to talk about it.

Al would never tell anyone that the reason why he didn't marry or adopt was because he was so afraid of losing them. He'd lost his sister, mother, father, Helen, Jacob... He didn't want to go through the pain again. There was only one person who had healed him, but Al had no idea where she went. She'd left him.

"I'm sorry, Al. That was none of my business."

"It's fine, Henry... Come on, get dressed and let's go."

He nodded. "Ok... l-let me just get sorted... and I'll be all set to go."

"I'll meet you downstairs."

Henry quickly ran into the bathroom, showered, and then got dressed, fixing his hair and fur, and then went out of the room, heading down the stairs.

Al waited in the lobby, holding a set of keys to their rental jeep. "Took you long enough. I called Kaspian. He said he'll meet us at that diner we went to a few months ago."

"Did he say anything else?" Henry asked, walking towards the larger bear.

"No."

"Oh, ok. Hopefully he'll have some news when we get there."


	24. Chapter Twenty-Three

.~*Chapter Twenty-Three*~.

By the time they got there and parked, Kaspian had secured a table in a corner of the diner. He was wringing his paws nervously. There was so much to explain to his uncles. How would they take it?

Alan walked over and sat down. "Kaspian."

"Hello, Uncle," he said softly.

"Hey. You all right?" he didn't exactly know how to start.

"Well, I didn't get fired."

"Fired? What do you mean fired?"

"I let someone go. The one who shot Kenya."

"What?! Why?! Why did you, she shot your sister!" Henry growled, finally getting there.

Al glanced at Henry. "Calm down, Henry."

"Because she can help us," Kaspian replied.

"Help us?! What do you mean by that? She shot your sister and now she's helping you. I'm afraid I'm finding this hard to believe, Kassie."

"She's the boss's right hand bear, uncle," Kaspian whispered. "That's all I can tell you, though."

Henrys eyes widened.

He looked at al then back at Kaspian "D-do you know for sure her loyalty? What's her name?"

"I'm not telling. Doing so may endanger our operation."

"Okay. What about the cubs? Did she say anything about them? Is she… friends with them?" He looked down. "I understand if you can't tell me much."

"I know, and I'm sorry, but I cannot say any more."

"All right. And thank you, Kassie."

"It'll still be another day until we know for sure about Kenya's condition, though," the young black bear sighed softly.

Henry winced at that praying silently that she'd pull through

Al frowned. "Come on, you two. She's a fighter, just like Jacob."

"Yeah, you're right, Uncle," Kaspian smiled. He missed his father, but he did see a lot of him in his younger sister.

"Alan Williams? Is that you?" a voice asked from behind them.

Al frowned and turned his head. "Huh?"

An elderly, but still beautiful pureblood she-panda stood at the counter, looking at the trio in confusion and surprise. "Is that really you?" She wore a navy blue pinstriped suit coat and skirt, a white blouse, and even a bowtie the color of the sky. Her black hair, stained with silver from her age, was done up in a fancy bun with a few black and silver strands hanging down the sides of her face. Her eyes were a soft gray, calculating and curious.

"Uh. Do I know you miss?" He looked just as confused. Her scent seemed familiar. Evergreen and moss. A few memories filled his mind, but they were hazy. Laughter and happiness. Stolen kisses. Sneaking out to meet. Why could he barely remember her?

Her eyes hardened slightly, her tone toughening. "Aw, Ally, don't you remember me? It's Faye. Faye Tality."

Still confused, he thought about it for a moment. His eyes widened in shock. "F-Faye? Is. No. Is it you?" Everything suddenly became clear. Her younger image appearing in his memories. He couldn't believe it. It was her! The one who had filled his life with such joy long ago! Well, before she left him.

Faye brushed a strand of her silvery-black hair out of her face and smiled. "Mhm. I'm still me. You've changed, though. A bit fuller around, older, and sadder. Your eyes are filled with wisdom now. It appears you've grown up a bit." Sighing, she shook her head. "Well, I hope you're happy with your new life." Faye wandered over to the counter, telling the server that she was picking up a takeout order.

Alan got up and slowly walked over to her, now completely focused on her. Why did she seem unhappy to see him? "You've grown up, too. I thought…" he drew off.

"Thought what, Al?" She didn't look at him, simply pulling out her checkbook and filling out the slip.

"Yo-You'd gone. I thought you had..." He was clearly uncomfortable, his eyes full of sadness and conflict. Why had his memories of her turned sad? Then he remembered: She left him almost twenty years ago.

"I went to law school, Alan. You know that." She scowled a bit, passing the check to the person behind the counter. "You know that."

"Sorry. My memory is not as good as it used ta be."

"Uh-huh. You're a smart guy, though, not as pretty as your sister. You've aged horribly. She has aged gracefully."

"What?! Y-you seen Lei?!"

Kaspian's ears flicked in the direction of the duo.

"The other day, yeah. In the cemetery." She reached into her purse and pulled out an envelope after putting away her checkbook. "She mailed this to me, asking me to give this to you should I see you. Never thought that was going to happen, though. I was actually going to take it to the post office after I picked up my lunch and started for work."

He looked down at it and reached forward with a trembling paw, taking it from her. "Is she okay?"

"She and my brother. Derek's with her, Al."

"He is?! Were there anyone else with them?"

"No."

"Oh." he looked down and sighed.

"Why?"

He gave her a look. "Though' maybe others with 'em."

"Like?"

"Maybe kids. Maybe others. Not just them."

"No, no kids, but they did mention them, I think."

He frowned and glanced over at their table, and then turned back to her. "Wha did they say about them?"

"Not much, only that they had to get back to them."

"Oh."

"Mhm."

He sighed and nodded. "Okay." What else was he supposed to say? First, he was shocked at seeing Faye again, and now he learned that she had seen his sister!

"So…" She looked suddenly nervous. She didn't know what to do now; what to talk about or anything.

"Uh. Um."

"Would you like to join us, Ms. Tality?" Kaspian asked, gesturing for her to sit beside him. He wanted to learn more about her meeting.

"Uh, I…" She looked at Al, wondering what he'd say.

"Uh yeah. If you would like to, Faye, it would be nice." He actually grinned at her.

Faye smiled and sat down. "So… What… Um… Where did you go? I came back from Law School and you were gone."

"Uh." Alan glanced at the other two for a little help. "Uh, I…"

Kaspian raised his eyebrow. "I didn't know you were out here, Uncle."

Big Al gave him a confused look. Weren't they just talking?

"I mean back then."

"Oh. yeah. used to be."

"Why didn't you ever come visit?"

"Pretty sure you were only a baby then, mister," Faye replied, taking a guess at his age.

"Was years ago, before you could remember," Al corrected.

"Hm. All right."

Big Al shrugged. "Where you staying Faye? You live somewhere nice?"

"Yeah, a nice little house room. Make enough money, of course, a lot of which I give to various charities and animal rescues. What's the point of a big home when you have no one to share it with?" She gave a slight glare to Al.

He turned a bit reddish and coughed nervously. Oh, crap.

Kaspian blinked and looked between the two curiously. He could see Henry doing the same.

"Maybe I shouldn't stay. Seems I'm making someone uncomfortable." Faye got up. "Sorry for wasting your time." She began to walk away, glancing back, before walking out the diner, picking up her food as she left.

Kaspian frowned. "You should go after her, Uncle Al."

"I'll be back." Al sighed and got up, chasing after her. "Faye, wait! Please…"

She kept walking down the city block, ears back against her head. Her scarf billowed about in the wind.

"Please, Faye, I'm sorry! Please come back!" He started to run; not something sensible at his age.

She stopped outside a slightly fancy apartment building. Turning to him, she frowned. "I'm not going to fight with you, Alan," she growled.

"Fight? What fight about? I wanted to apologize. I was a jerk all those years ago."

She bared her teeth and gestured for him to follow her. They got in a taxi, not talking at all. Only when they arrived at a two-story blue house with a white picket fence did Faye turn to him. "You can take the stairs. I'm on the second floor." She then got in the elevator, which was really only there for convenience of the disabled that stayed at the house as well. Normally, she followed the rules, but today she was just frustrated and not thinking.

He gave her a dumbfounded look and frowned, making his way over to the staircase.

She waited for him at the top, frowning. "I didn't want to share a staircase with a… BAH!" She growled and stalked off to her room. She didn't even have a word for what Al was.

He hung his head. "A loser. A jerk, I know. Faye, please, I'm sorry. I really am sorry." He shuffled after her.

Faye gestured for him to come on inside. Once he had, she shut the door, and blew up at him. "YOU LEFT! YOU LEFT WITHOUT A SINGLE WORD! YOU NEVER EVEN CONTACTED ME TO TELL ME WHERE YOU WERE AND IF YOU WERE SAFE! NO NOTE! NOTHING! DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW EMBARRASSED AND HURT I WAS WHEN I CAME BACK ON BREAK AND FOUND OUT YOUR APARTMENT WAS SOLD TO SOMEONE ELSE?! THAT YOU LEFT WITHOUT EVEN A FORWARDING ADDRESS?!" she shouted.

"DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW LONG I'VE BEEN WAITING HERE FOR YOU TO COME BACK?! TO CONTACT ME?! DO YOU EVEN REALIZE THAT I THOUGHT YOU WERE DEAD FOR SEVERAL YEARS?! THEN I FIND OUT YOU HAVE A NEW JOB AND LIFE IN TENNESSEE WITH SOME BOY BAND, AND I WAS TOO ANGRY TO EVEN CALL YOU! YOU OBVIOUSLY WANTED NOTHING TO DO WITH ME ANYMORE!" With her broken heart all those years ago, she had gone on to becoming one of the toughest lawyers—and eventually judge—in the area. Angrily, she picked up a ring from the coffee table and threw it at his head.

He yelped in surprise, bending over and picking it up. It was the promise ring he had given her all those years ago. "Oh, Faye…" He hung his head unhappily and whimpered. "Pl-Please I-I thought… Please, I'm sorry, I n-never meant…"

"YOU THOUGHT WHAT?!"

"Y-you d-didn't want me. You went off one day. I w-was gonna…"

She frowned, slowly calming down at the sorrowful tone in his voice. "You knew I was leaving, Alan."

He hung his head. "I thought you didn't wanna be with me. I thought you didn't want me."

"What are you talking about? You knew I loved you, Alan. That someday I wanted to marry you. I promised myself to you!" Her voice dropped to a whisper. "I… I made the physical bond with you…"

His tone turned bitter. He could remember that bit, the night before. Sweat, lust, love… a little bit of honey and a romantic night by the lake. His eyes hardened as he glared at her. She had broken his heart the very next day! "Then you left me."

"I was going to college! You told me I should go! You even helped pay my tuition! That night by the lake was supposed to be the most magical night of our lives… and it was. We had that date because the next day I was leaving. Don't you remember?"

The memories were still fuzzy and giving him a headache as he struggled to remember. He shook his head and bowed it. "Don't remember much of before…"

Her demeanor softened as she reached out and took his paw. "Al, what do you mean?"

"Henry and Helen said I had a tractor accident. I don't know… Can't remember much before… And even then, some of my memories are a bit… skewed."

The she-panda frowned and blinked in confusion. "A tractor accident?"

"Years ago. About a year after you left."

"Oh, Al. I… I'm sorry. I… I didn't know."

"No. Not your fault. I'm sorry, Faye."

She felt horrible. All these years, yearning and hating him, and he didn't even really remember her or what they shared. "I… Can you forgive me for acting like a bitch?"

"There's nothing to forgive, milady." Alan stepped close to her. Leaning forward and shaking a bit, he rubbed noses for a second before kissing her nose.

"I… I missed you so much. I thought you didn't… you didn't want me in your life." She looked at the ring resting in his paw, which she had thrown at him moments before. "Did… did you ever move on?" She prayed he hadn't, but now that she knew he didn't remember much about her, it was possible that he didn't remember their physical bond. Their promise to each other.

He glanced at her in surprise. "I may not remember much, but that doesn't mean I don't want you anymore. I always wanted you, I loved you then and love you still. No, I never moved on. Never wanted anyone but you. Only ever wished to make you mine, Fayfay."

She smiled at the old nickname. "Oh, Al." She kissed his nose and gently squeezed his paw. "I never went with anyone else, either. I never will. But… Will you tell me? Why you left?"

The gray bear searched his memories. "I, uh, was gonna contact you, ask you come, but… I left. Left because…" he whimpered and shook his head and scratched it.

"Why didn't you come back?"

"I don't know. I just don't know. I'm sorry, Faye." He looked very unhappy. He was finding it hard to explain things. Why wouldn't the memories come to him?

She sighed and led him over to the couch. "Come and sit. I'll make you some tea. Or do you still like coffee? I should be asking if you even have time to talk to me."

"Uh. I think I got time. Uh I don't mind. Coffee or tea." He gave her a sheepish grin and sat.

She smiled at him and went downstairs to the kitchen, coming back up a little bit later with some tea for him. "Here you go. It's Green Tea."

He smiled gratefully and took the teacup, surprisingly delicately sipped it a slow smile spread over his face and he sighed in contentment.

She sat across from him, silent for a few minutes as she gathered her thoughts. "You know. I still love you, Alan. Always and forever."

"And I still love you, Faye, I never stopped loving you. I loved you so much that all these years, I… I've kept this with me. Not in a box, unfortunately, but… I tried my best at keeping it safe. It took me a few years to gather the money for it, but when I did, and I think before I could call you to say where I was and so I could meet up with you, I had that accident."

Faye blinked in surprise. What was he—Her eyes widened in shock.

His paw went into his pocket again and drew a slightly tarnished but still beautiful ring: A dazzling solid sterling silver diamond infinity ring, hand-set with a dozen genuine diamonds. Engraved on the inside was "Faye and Alan", while on the outside it said "Today, Tomorrow, Always".

Faye was stunned into silence for a few moments. "A-Alan? Are… Are you…?" She couldn't believe it. This wasn't happening, was it?

He nodded and set his cup down. Shifting his big boned self onto the floor, he got into a sort of kneeling position, wincing slightly as his old legs creaked. "I've been waiting… a long time for this… I know we've only just found each other again, but… This belongs to you, if you'll still have me."

Her paws went to her mouth as she waited for him to say the words she wanted to hear from his lips for so long.

"Faye Claybourne, uh, Tality." He gave her an embarrassed look. "Will you marry me and be mine? I love you, Faye, and won't ever stop loving you."

Not more than two moments later, she tackled and kissed him deeply. "YES!" she cried, feeling years younger. All logic left her. She knew they should simply start over and work things out, but at this point, she no longer cared.

"Oof!" He toppled backwards and laughed, kissing her, cuddling, and nuzzling her.

Faye looked into his blue-green eyes with her own gray ones, filled with utter happiness.

He looked up at her beautiful eyes and kissed her again, holding her close.

Tears rolled down her cheeks as she kissed him again. "I never thought this day would come."

"M-me ne-neither. Oh Faye, my Faye… I missed you." He rubbed noses so happy at this moment.

She rested her head against his chest, crying with joy.

They stayed into each other's arms for almost five hours, just talking and being in each others' presence. Faye and Al had merely been talking to each other about everything that had happened. How she had become a judge and the Salt Lake City Bond Ceremony Preacher and Trials Overseer known as the _Iudex_, meaning judge. It was very important to bear culture, after all, even though few still followed the old Bonding Ceremony. He told her about his life, how he ended up working at his brother-in-law's place.

Finally, Al's phone began to ring.

Al frowned and glanced at his phone, grimacing. "Of all the times…" he glanced at Faye worriedly. "It's Henry."

"Henry. He's the brown one I saw with you, right? Around my age?"

He coughed nervously and nodded. "Yes, that's him. He's probably wonderin where I am."

"Why don't we meet them for dinner? My treat." She smiled and ran a claw down his chest, smirking. She looked at the ring that had taken the place of her promise ring that she was going to put on a necklace.

"But, uh, should be me buying you dinner. Uh, okay, I mean, uh… oooh that tickles, Faye." He squirmed almost dropping the phone as he answered it holding it to his fuzzy ear.

"_Uh, Alan? Where are you? You've been gone for hours._"

"Umm. With Faye. Ah! Faye, that tickled! Have I been hours?"

"_Almost five! Uh, I, didn't interrupt anything, did I?_" His tone was nervous, and it was apparent what he was talking about.

"Uh. like what?" Then it dawned on him. "Oh nope nothing like that Hen. Uh, you all wanna meet for dinner?"

"_Uh. yeah, sure. Where at?_"

Faye settled on top of Al and grinned, folding her arms on his chest and looking at his snout. "I know a great restaurant. The one where we met: _Stormie's_." She kissed his nose.

"Uh. how does _Stormie's_ sound?" He took the phone away from his mouth a moment and gave her a nuzzle and a kiss on her pretty nose.

"That sounds pretty good. Never been there, but if you give me directions, I'm sure we can find it."

"Uh." he looked sheepishly at Faye "I, uh, forgotten where it is. Faye? Uh can you help me?"

She laughed and took the phone, giving Henry directions.

"Thanks, Ms. Tality."

She handed the phone back to Al, who said his goodbyes and hung up. She glanced at the floor, blinking when she realized she was two feet off of it. "Al, You've been eating well," she laughed, kissing his nose.

He stared at her and glanced at his round belly and wobbled it.

Faye burst into laughter at that. "Al!" She grinned and looked at the clock, eyes widening. "Oh, crap." She quickly hopped off of him and went over to the phone, talking hastily to someone on the other end. After about fifteen minutes, she returned back, slightly upset.

He looked up at her. "F-Faye, are you okay?"

"Yeah. I just missed a case today, and had to report in. Luckily they got another judge to take care of it. I told them that something unexpected had come up. So I have to go in tomorrow instead of today."

His eyes filled with sorrow. "Oh. Oh, I'm sorry, Faye, this is my fault. Sorry."

"No, it's fine. I would have called in and had someone take the case anyway."

He looked unhappy. "But, you won't get paid."

"I have more than enough, Alan. I'll be fine."

'"But, you missed work."

"I know, Al. I can make it up tomorrow."

He still looked worried at that.

She smiled and touched his cheek. "Don't worry about me, Alan." She blinked. "Did you ever read your letter?"

"Letter? you mean the one you gave me?"

"Mhm."

He glanced around and fumbled in his pocket and pulled it out, glancing down at it trembling slightly.

"_Ally._

_You're probably going to kill me for calling you that. Oh well. Um… I've missed you… I hope you're still alive… I am, and I'm happy. Well, as happy as I can be, considering where I am._

_I'm with Derek. You remember him, right? I married him many years ago… when we were fourteen. Don't yell at me for it. He loves me. I only wish you could see us now. Wait! I have a picture, and I'll include it in this letter._

_I know we have some scars, but that's to be expected where we are._

_You're an uncle, Ally… At least thirty cubs... Okay, maybe a little more than that… I wish you could meet them, but the one who took us sold them… Except for one. Derek took her before our "owner" could, and took her down to the city and gave her to a family. Little Mysty became a nurse. She'd be around thirty… two? Yes, I think thirty-two. So many boys, but so few girls. Oh well._

_I wish I knew what you were doing… I hear you were adopted by aunt and uncle Hathworth. I hope they treated you right. I hope you grew up happy and found love. I hope you have many, many cubs. You'd be a good father. No, not good. Great. You'd be an amazing father. I also hope you fulfilled your dream of being an architect. If not, I hope you've done something that you love._

_Ally… I mean, Al… I… I wanted to tell you that I'm sorry. I don't know if you remember the fight we had or not, but I'm sorry. I was hotheaded… Please forgive me. I'm getting… well, got, what I deserved. I know you no longer wanted a sister, but…_

_I still love you._

_Alakalei Williams Claybourne_"

The picture was a lovely photograph of Lei sitting with Derek in front of their cabin, both smiling. It was a bit faded, but still well done. His sister looked beautiful.

Al was silent as he read the letter, his paws shaking. As he looked at the photo, his eyes glistened.

Faye looked at him, touching his cheek. "Al?"

He looked at her haunted tears slowly trickling down and showed her the letter. He was finding it hard to speak.

She took it and read curiously. "Fight? Th-Thirty cubs?" Her eyes widened when she saw the part about Al having cubs.

"Not seen her so long. She doesn't know I've not moved on, I never got married or had cubs."

"Did you ever want any?"

He didn't hear her. "After losing Helen, Jacob, my uncle, and my parents… It hurt so much."

She whined and leaned against him. "I'm sorry. So sorry."

He pulled her close to him and nuzzled her never wanting to let go of her kissing her cheek whimpering.

"If I could've given you a cub, I would have. I wish… Oh, how I wish I could have helped you, but now I'm too old, I suppose. Or at least almost too old. Certainly too old to raise a cub. Now your family line won't continue. Judging by this letter, your sister never got to keep any of her cubs, and who knows where they are." She sighed. "Eh, I probably wouldn't have been a good mother anyway. Always busy."

"She mentioned a Mysty, and that she was a nurse. Doesn't' that say something? She knows where she is." He scowled. "You would have been a great mother, Fayfay."

"I guess we'll never know. As for this daughter of hers. I could try and locate records of her adoption. If there is any."

He broke out into a big smile at that.

"It might be hard, though. I have no idea what she might look like, but we do have some clues. Her name spelling is unusual, and she's a nurse around thirty-two years of age. I'll pull records from thirty-five years ago. No promises." She sighed and looked away, now thinking about cubs.

"Thank you, Faye. Uh. if you ever wanted cub, I know we can't really try now, but adopt? Yours and mine. And if we do manage to get pregnant, we can raise our cub right."

She blinked in surprise. "You don't think we're too old?"

He shook his head.

She smiled at him. "We still have to plan the wedding, Al. Where are we going to live? Out here or in Tennessee?"

"Well, uh, where you wanna live, Faye? Where are you happy?"

"Well, I kind of like it out here, but, I'm close to retiring. In about three more years. You wanted to bring me out to where you are living now. I think living in the country would be a nice change of pace. You know, I grew up on a ranch. You never told me what exactly your place is like. Is it nice?"

"It's nice. Well, uh…"

She looked at him curiously. "Something wrong?"

"Well I live _Country Bear Hall_. Well usually live there."

Faye's eyes widened in surprise. "You live there?! That place is so beautiful!"

He nodded and smiled.

"What do you do there?"

"Uh, live there. Help take care of it. Stuff like that."

"Basically, the groundskeeper? You're the one that makes it all beautiful."

"Uh, heh, I guess so." He grinned at her.

"Quite the decorator," she grinned, kissing his nose.

He chuckled and nuzzled her rubbing noses as he went rouge under his fur.

"I still can't believe that… that I found you again."

"It's been years. It's like we were meant to," he smiled at her nuzzling and holding her close.

"I just wish it had happened years ago." She kissed him back.

He grinned happily and nodded, lathering her cheeks up in kisses.

She purred with delight and leaned in close to him. "I feel so young."

He giggled and snuggled. "Age is but a number, my princess."

She laughed and nuzzled him gently.

"Mmmm." He ran his paws through her fur, stroking the sides of her face rubbing noses.

"Come on, my gray knight. Let's get going." She kissed and helped him up.

He giggled and nodded, stumbling a second as he got back on his feet. "Hehe I can't wait. To _Stormie's_, my princess."

"Are you going to take the letter to that FBI agent as evidence?"

He grumbled and stuffed the envelope back in his pocket. "It smells of her. A copy won't."

"Alan, that's some important evidence and clues."

"Then why give to me if you're just going end up giving it away? I haven't anything of Lei's left." He sighed at her look. "Fine, he can have it. But I want a copy." He sighed and hung his head. He looked put out that he was losing something that had come from Lei.

She raised an eyebrow. "You may get to keep the originals, Alan."

"Pshah, he won't let me 'ave em. He'd want the prints anything else those people can get off em. I don't care. He can take em and shove em up somewhere. I don't care. Just something else I've lost to think about."

Faye frowned and sighed. She was going to do whatever she had to, to get Al back the original letters and picture. She touched his cheek sadly. "Come on, Al." She wished she hadn't brought up the evidence idea. Now he was so upset.

He just shrugged and sighed looking down and shuffled a bit. He just didn't want anything right now. Everything he ever had and or loved he eventually lost. So what would it matter about a bloody photo and a stupid letter? He hung his head and whimpered, his breath hitching as two tears rolled down his cheeks. "Let's just go to _Stormie's_."

She whined and touched his face. "Alan. I. I'm so sorry."

He looked up at her his face wet and sighed "I'm just stoopid." He brought his paw up to hers and covered it before pulling it away from his face and gave it a kiss.

"You're not stupid, my love. Far from it."

"I am. Getting upset over stoopid thangs."

"They're not stupid things, Al. Something like that is precious."

"They are because ol' stoopid me's gonna lose em to my nep'ew."

She frowned. "I promise you, Alan, I'll make sure you get them back. The originals."

"If he'll let you. He's stubborn."

"I know. I've dealt with him before."

"Huh? You met Kaspian before?"

"Well, yes. He's with the FBI, and I'm a judge. I also sign warrents, you know."

"You know what he's up to then."

"Not really, no. He's not sought me out for a warrant yet, so I have no idea what he has for evidence or anything." Not that he'd be able to, now, since she was connected to the case.

"Oh… Hey, you said you met Lei and Derek at the cemetery. Did they say anything else?"

"Well." She thought for a moment and began to tell him about the day she met her brother for the first time.

Al listened to every word his eyes growing wider and wider. His jaw had dropped to the floor.

"But just before they left, Lei handed me an envelope. So, yeah."

Al had fallen silent, going over everything she'd said. "Oh. I see... Uh about that cemetery. C-could you take me there? I mean when nothing important is going on. Want to visit and say goodbye."

She blinked before smiling. "Of course. Do you want to go now?"

"But, I thought we was going _Stormie's_."

"I'm sure they'll understand. Why don't you call them?"

"Um, okay." He pulled out his phone and looked down on it and slowly pressed the buttons.

"You don't have to if you don't want to, Alan. If you want to wait until tomorrow."

He stopped just as he was about to press the call button "ok. um. that would be best. Could get some uh flowers maybe for my parents. It's been so long. Hope they restin peacefully."

"I'm sure they are up in Caelo watching over you and Lei. I wish I could have met them. They made wonderful cubs." She smirked and kissed his cheek.

He turned red and shuffled his feet and gave a childish giggle and kissed her back.

"Now come on. Let's go out to dinner."

_.~*~._

Henry and Kaspian looked up when they saw the duo. "What's this? Earlier you were at each other's throats, basically," Kaspian questioned.

Al stuck his tongue out and nodded towards her paw. He was holding a big grin on his face.

Henry blinked and looked at her paw. "Whoa, wait, what? You... You're getting married? Alan, what on earth are you thinking?!"

"I'll explain later, Henry," the gray bear growled slightly.

Faye smiled and nodded. "Well, when our siblings are free... they're the last of our family we have left. Well, birth families..."

Al grinned and nodded. "Yeah... Mhmm." He led her over to the table and pulled her chair out.

Kaspian laughed and stood up, going over to his uncle and shaking his paw. "Congratulations, Uncle."

Henry chuckled and smiled. "A new addition. Are you going to take the last name of Williams... or Hathworth?"

Al blinked. "Well me personally, I'm happy with which she chooses... It's been way too long..."

"Derek took on the name Claybourne... And Alan here's the last of the Williams' line..." Faye continued.

"Leis still alive... not the only one..."

"I meant the male, Alan. Lei's taken Derek's last name... So, in a way, you are the last..."

"I know... It's just strange saying the last of the Williams line... because... you know..." he twitched his ears slightly.

She blinked and looked at him. "Because you can't continue the line?"

"Yeah…"

"Don't worry, Al. We'll adopt, remember? You'll have a child soon enough." She smiled gently at him.

Henry watched his brother-in-law and smiled. It was good seeing Al so happy with someone he loved. Though, he was curious about how they ended up engaged.

Al glanced at him, almost as if he were reading his thoughts. "Well, it all began when we got to her apartment…" And he began telling them the tale of the past few hours.

Kaspian frowned. "Uncle, I'll be needing that letter… It should have been given to me right away." He aimed a glare at Faye.

"Oh, hush, child. This was the first contact he's had with his sister in fifty years. Get what you must off it, but then give him back the originals. In these cases, a copy just won't cut it."

"That's not protocol…"

"Neither is letting one of your suspects go like that," she hissed.

He frowned and sighed. "Fine, fine. I'll see what I can do."

She smirked. "That's a good lad."

Henry laughed lightly and smiled at Al. "You got yourself a feisty one."

"You don't know the half of it, Hen," Al smiled back, squeezing Faye's paw.

"So, tell me a little about yourself, Faye Tality…"

They spent the rest of dinner getting to know the new addition to their family…

_.~*The Country Bears*~._

Al panted and wheezed a bit as they finished walking up towards the cemetery pausing for a moment to check his things he'd brought hadn't been damaged. He looked at Faye questionably.

"This way." She led him through the silent graveyard until they came to an apple tree. Below it was the gravestones for Andrew and Alexandra Williams, Al's parents, and Anne and Robert Claybourne. Also with the graves were two other markers. Lei and Derek's.

His breath caught in his throat seeing the gravestones. As he got closer to them he fell to his knees sniffling reaching out to gently touch the cold marble, tracing his parents' names. Had it really been fifty years? He wish he could have grown up with them, seen them grow old.

Faye didn't have anything to say as she watched him.

He sniffed and leant his head against the cold stone he had so much he wanted to say to them, but he didn't know how.

She placed a paw on his shoulder. "Easy. I know they loved you very much."

"I miss them so much, Faye." There was pain in the way he spoke. "I wish that they were still here. There's so much I want and wanted to say to them." He hung his head snuffling.

"If you want me to leave…"

"N-no. Pl-please don't go, Faye. Please. D-don't forget something. Know is not much, but gotta tell them 'bout you an' me."

She smiled and knelt beside him, holding his paw. "I'm here for you, then."

He gave her a small smile and stroked her paw and began talking, telling the marble stones about how he missed them and then talked about what had been going on minus the trouble happening. He didn't want them becoming restless.

After a little over maybe thirty minutes he looked at Faye and smiled, glancing at her paw "There's, uh, one more thing. Me and Faye. We are getting married."

Faye smiled. She had also been talking to her birth parents, the ones she had never known. telling him about her life as well. The she-panda looked at Al and kissed his cheek, squeezing his paw.

There was a sense of arms wrapping around Al and the scents of his parents filled his nostrils.

He inhaled and a slow smile crept over his face and he sighed happily. "Mama. Pa," he spoke in a very, very quiet voice. He knew those scents anywhere. He looked at Faye and pulled her close, kissing her.

"Do you think they accept me?"

"Mhm, I think they do." He smiled gently at her. "They are here. See for yourself. Mama, Pa, are you happy with us?"

The arms embraced Faye as well, and there was a happy feeling in the air.

Al grinned happily feeling happier than he had ever been in years.

Faye smiled at him. "I guess that means they approve."

He nodded and beamed at her. "Mhm."

"But, will the rest of your family? I mean. The ones you live with at the _Hall_. In this troublesome time?"

"Hmm. Wh-what if, um, soon as we get some good news? On both my niece and the cubs?"

She smiled and nodded. "Say, when are you going back?"

"Back?"

"Well, I presume you're here for Ms. Kenya. You can't stay here forever. Even if I want you to, you can't. You probably have stuff to do back home."

He looked down. "Can't you come with me?"

"I will certainly try. I have New Years free."

He smiled. "That would... be wonderful."

"I just hope they accept me."

He gave her a look. "Faye, they will beautiful"

"How can you be sure?"

"why wouldn't they? you are beautiful, kind, good"

"And also coming in at a bad time."

He looked at her and whined.

She sighed and shrugged. "Sorry. I should be grateful, I know."

He gave her a nuzzle and a kiss. "I love you, Faye… Don't worry. They will, too."


	25. Chapter Twenty-Four

.~*Chapter Twenty-Four*~.

Jewel sat silently on the porch, watching as the sun rose in the distance. It was a beautiful January morning, and the snow still had to melt. Her mind went over everything that had happened in the past few weeks, everything from her rape to the present moment.

She had felt strange the past few days, and had gotten sick, but didn't know why. She was probably coming down with the flu. She was eating more, but didn't talk to anyone. She refused to say a word since that day. She had too much to think about, but at the same time, her mind was blank.

Beary watched the girl he loved from the trees on the outskirts of the meadow. He had gone out for an early morning hunt, and was just returning. He could see the first rays of the sunlight over the trees light up the golden she-cub's fur, giving her the essence of a glow. He found the sight quite beautiful, and couldn't resist sitting down and drawing what he saw on the little sketch pad Derek had gotten him on his last trip down to the city.

So far, the pictures in the little book consisted of Jewel and a few faces that he knew, but couldn't remember the names for. So much had happened since he and Jewel had been kidnapped that he barely remembered his life before that.

After that day that Thrasher had touched Jewel, Beary rarely left her side except to go hunting. He slept by her up in the loft at night, making sure there was a blanket separating them, and sat by her on the porch when they went outside. No longer was he going to ignore her in order to protect her. He had learned his lesson when she had been raped by the grizzly. He would no longer stand in the background, waiting for something to happen. Now he stayed by her side and protected her like he had promised. He told her every day that he loved her and would never leave her again.

She never verbally responded to him. Jewel wouldn't utter a word. Nonetheless, he kept to his vow.

As he added the last few details, he heard footsteps behind him. He knew Derek would get after him for idling instead of taking the meat in his backpack to the freezer before it spoiled. Then again, there was snow on the ground, so did it really matter?

Derek walked up behind him seeing him there. He knew he'd not put the meat away yet, but he wasn't about to disturb the kid from what he was doing. "That go'od. Ya kno'w, lik'ness," he said looking over Beary's shoulder.

Beary's ears perked up and he blushed a little at the praise. "Well... I.. uh... I want to give it to her for her birthday... I couldn't get her anything else for today..." He gave a small smile as he closed the book. "Jewel's thirteen today..." He put the book in his inside vest pocket and stood. "Better put the meat away, huh..."

He watched as Lei stuck her head out the door and called for Jewel to come inside. "She's... she's so beautiful... and I don't know how to tell her... I can tell her that I love her, but... I don't know how to get through to her anymore, Derek..."

"Why not just tell her how you feel, bro?" Dex asked as he wandered up behind them, holding his own load of food; he had gone fishing.

"It's not that easy, you know..."

"Sure it is. Go right up to her and tell her..."

"May work for you, Dex, but..."

"Don't be such a chicken."

"I'm not a chicken."

"You won't even tell your best friend that she's beautiful. Yeah, that's being a chicken."

"Dex, I'm warning you..."

"Ah c'mon. Hush the 'teazin." Derek watched Jewel go inside and sighed. The kid was still in shock—sorta. "Don'cha w'rry 'bout th' m'eat. I'll s'rt it." He picked up the backpack and went off.

Beary blinked. "Wait! It's my responsibility!" He followed the older bear.

Dex, too, followed... a little unsure on what to do with the fish he had captured. "Um... What do I do with these?"

"Oh, those?" Beary took them from his brother and began working with them—cleaning them up.

Dex watched in amazement. Since when did Beary learn to gut a fish? "So... when are we getting out of this hellhole?"

Beary's eyes widened. "Shut up! There's no way out..."

"Hey, take it eazy on him, Beary, but yeah, he iz right. Iz impozible ta get 'way from T'rasher, alwayz az hiz wayz." Derek shook his head slightly and smiled. "Ya 'kay Dex?"

Beary sighed and looked at Dex. "May not know how to fish—not that I want to know—but I can gut one. Derek showed me..."

Dex looked at Derek. "Well... I would be if I was back home... With Roxi's and my child on the way, I don't want her here with this monster... I certainly don't want Beary and Jewel here any longer."

"I know. Hopefully some'thing migh't turn up, juzz have to wait for things ta sett'le down fir'st," he sighed and scratched his head for a minute, thinking. For the moment they'd have to get used to things; make the most of it. Hopefully, sometime later might be able to find a way for them to get away. He knew someone in the base had been thinking of how best to get them out of their predicament. "I heard it's Jewel's bir'vday... why not we make some'ting up fo her?"

Beary's eyes brightened and he smiled. "Yeah! Let's throw her a party! If... that's okay?" he asked, innocently.

Dex frowned. "How are we going to do that? We need a cake... food..."

Derek chuckled. "O'course we cou'ld. Hmm will hafta git down to the c'ty and get a few things... but ye'ah think we cud do th'at." He looked over the place... they'd need Lei-Lei for this. "Hm, Beary, what's Jewel like'd tha most? 'er favarit things?"

Beary looked at him with wide eyes. "T-The... city? You know we can't go down there... he'll kill us..." He looked down nervously. "I... I was thinking... we make something here..." He whimpered. "She likes... music... a lot of music... and cookies... and... um..." He blushed horribly as he muttered the next thing. "Making out... And she has this strange fascination with squeezing my butt."

Dex just stared at his brother slackjawed. Just simply stared for a good few minutes before laughing.

Derek shook his head. "Weren't saying you had ta go down there; I'd have gone down and got somethin... hmm don' know if Lei-Lei has much in 'er kitchen b'ut we'll hav'a look." He gave no reaction to the fact that Beary had said Jewel liked making out. "Az fo music don' know if there is somethin could use. But what about a song fo her?"

"If I had a guitar, I could teach her how to play. She's wanted to learn."

Dex glanced at him. "I thought she played piano..."

"Keyboard, and I also play the Thang. What's your point?"

"Uh... nothing. But you don't even have a guitar... well... here..."

"I need a new Gibson... mine's getting too small for my fat fingers." He started scowling.

Derek smiled. "Think I might head down to tha city after all, and ya don' have fat fingers... look ah these ones." He wiggled his own much bigger paws and chuckled. "Or might... hmm... might ask someone if could git down there and get a few bits..."

Beary chuckled and smiled at him. "She likes strawberry cake. And white frosting." He licked his lips. "Just get the mix and the necessary supplies and we can... um... make it ourselves! Surprise her!"

Derek grinned and nodded. "Sounds like a plan... I jus' need to get off this mountain..."

Dex frowned. "Why can't I go with you? Let us out of here..."

Beary looked at him and whined. "Master will hunt us down and kill us all..."

Dex turned to him, his expression livid. "HE IS NOT YOUR MASTER!"

Beary flinched and backed away.

"Don't be a fool Dex, T'rasher would find out and then... there'd be 'ell ta pay..." Derek looked at Dex almost straight through him... couldn't the kid understand?

"But we can tell the FBI! They can come up here and arrest him!" Dex argued angrily.

"Ya really are foolish boy... and also... Th'rasher w'ould do all possibible to not g't caught! Minute ee find's cops up 'ere..." he shook his head "No witnesses allowed or any'zhing..." He tried to change the uncomfortable subject. "ah Zhee if Cady wan's go down to tha city... no chip in 'er neck..."

Beary flinched and frowned slightly at the name, looking away, but didn't say anything. Chip? What chip?

"That bitch? You're going to trust her with this? Are you insane?" Dex chastised.

"Don'tcha call my Lei-Leis 'dopted daughter a bitch! She 'ad no choice in what she did! That girls done 'lot fo me and Lei-Lei!" He growled, annoyed. "Is not her choice in 'what she does... sh'e tries ta 'elp... 'ot a bad 'erson," he finished.

"Yeah, that's why she clobbered me with a baseball bat. She kidnapped Roxanne and me! She put our unborn child in danger! She's a bitch!"

Beary whimpered as he watched them bicker.

"She 'robably didn't even know hoo ya waz! She d'nt mean ta do things!" Derek growled angrily then his face turned sad and he sighed. "She saved my daughter's life... waz'n fo er she be dead..."

Dex snarled at him, clenching his fists. "You said she doesn't have a chip. Then why the hell hasn't she left? Gone for help? Why does she stay?! Why doesn't she help protect all the innocents that he's taken?!"

"Guys... please... don't..." Beary whined, unheard.

Derek shook his head. "Ya seen zhem mahks on her back? Dat's T'rashers doin... she d'nt mean ta do things! if he orderx her, zhe doez what told..." Derek growled angrily. "Cady's T'rashers beetch... ee urts er... even when zhe takes plaze of er comrades... ee's got her as iz... ee keeps er close... zhe won't leave im or run an ee knows it... would rather kill 'erself than run from er master..."

The human scowled and shook his head. "Y'all are a bunch of wackjobs. Just sayin."

"Dex, please... it's Jewel's birthday... please don't fight..." He was shaking slightly, arms wrapped around his body.

Dex looked down at his younger brother before sighing and ruffling the cub's hair. "All right, doofus. Sorry for scaring you."

The panda breathed deeply and calmed down. "Yeh, ah should'n lose it like that... c'mon... let's get this stuff sorted, then ah'll git down to tha city and get the things." He let out a slight soft chuckle. He knew what he'd bring back; just had to hope they had the right one.

Beary's ears perked and he turned his head just in time to see Jewel race out of the cabin, crying, with Lei following her. "Huh...?"

Dex blinked and looked over at the fleeing females. "What on earth...?"

"Nawt sure... think zhe might'ta heard about say it is her birthday taday." He watched them running a little worried.

"No... Jewel would be happy about her birthday... She would know that I had something specially planned for her..."

"Hmm... 'kay... well I'll be gitin down ta the city be gone fo a bit... will be a w'ile I think. If Ca'dy come don't send 'er 'way."

Beary nodded and turned around and left the shed, chasing after Jewel.

Dex turned and was about to start arguing with Derek again, before he heard Roxi calling his name from inside the cabin. Sighing, he wandered over in her direction.

.~*~.

Cady hefted the items in her backpack and the things in her arms, grinning slightly at her step-papa. "Well that was a pleasant trip. Think they'll like all this lot? Got some party nibbles and stuff. You need a hand at all, Derek?" she looked at what he was carrying.

Derek smiled happily as he carried the two guitar cases. "I 'ope zey 'ike em. B'ue fo Jewel, and red fo Beary." He had gotten Beary a red L4 Gibson Acoustic guitar with a jumbo cutaway style body, a glossy solid spruce top, rosewood back and sides, rosewood fretboard and bridge, dot inlays, and gold hardware.

For Jewel, he had gotten a blue 1976 Gibson Hummingbird Acoustic Guitar with mahogany for the neck, back and sides along with the spruce top and a wine red/heritage cherry finish. The neck was nice and full feeling falling somewhere in between what is now called 50s shaped and 60s shaped and is 1-11/16" wide at the nut.

"Hope so too, they looked gorgeous when you picked them out." She grinned at him. "Say... y-you don't think they'll mind me coming up? I still feel bad over what I'd been ordered to do that day..." She winced remembering when she'd wacked Dex over the head with that bat.

"Zey might git mad at fuwst, but... Lei-Lei misses ya... and so do I... Zat s'ould be wha mattahs most. Ya aw our guest."

"Miss you both, too. I-I better not stay too long or Thrasher will get mad... fugging lucky in one way that he's not chipped me... oh well it's nice to be out of the base... so what you going to be doing for Jewel up here?" She paused a second to shift the stuff in her arms making them stable again.

"Well, it's her bi'thday.. and Beary wan'ed ta t'rough 'er a partah... Least we cou'd do fo zem..."

Cady smiled at that. "Aww that's nice. Think all this that we've got is enough for them? I could always pop down again and get some more nibbles and pop."

"Nah, I'm suw dis is enough. How much can humans eat, anyway?" He laughed and gave her a small smile.

"Well you never know with humans but I know with cubs can get pretty hungry. How's the girl doing? Uh, Roxi, is it? With her belly? Was a bit worried when she'd been dragged about an all."

"She's pregnant... almost four months now..."

"Yeesh. Still got five months to go then. It's nine months for humans right? I really hope Thrasher won't take the little one away when he or she is born." She winced, thinking about her daughter; had been quite some time since that day.

"I know... Tell me, he's s'ill havin t'ouble roundin up breedahs for the male, yes?"

She winced and nodded. "Finding it hard and getting pissed off about it... wouldn't stop lashing out at me over it." She grimaced and rolled her shoulders a little bit.

"I hope he nevah finds any. Gonna git dem outta here soon..." He froze and looked at her in horror. He hadn't meant to tell her.

She just grinned. "Was wondering when you were going to say that... oh don't look worried." She glanced around. "Me and someone else have been thinking how to as well..." she whispered. "Get em down to the city and away from here... Beary's been put through enough and so have the others, can't frickin believe what Thrasher's thinking and what he's been doing."

"T'ere's mo, Cads... Befo we left... I... I ta'ked to Lei..." He took a deep breath and leaned over, whispered something in her ear.

"Uh-oh. Okay, really need to get them away soon. If Thrasher finds out, it's gonna be bad." She grimaced. "Thrasher's getting moody and stuff, getting impatient. Once he finds out he'll be ordering her back to the base... not good at all..." She sighed. "Me and the other tw—- uh never mind well we're trying to figure out a way on getting them down to the city..."

"Cady... t'ere's anozzur p'oblem... we... we don' know who da fazzur is... Th'asha or Beary..."

She gave him a look. "Derek, I'd have gotten pregnant several times since I've been here. Thrasher's sterile, he's had sex with me so many times over the years if he wasn't I'd have been pregnant since I first arrived here..."

"I know dat, but ya nevah know... she... she was raped... sho'tly after she made love with her mate..."

She growled darkly. "Thrasher hurt her?! Godsdamn it! Is Jewel all right? Bet the poor kid's badly shook up over it, and yes I'm more than aware of what happened to Thrasher. Can't say I'm happy about it."

"She's mo zan shook up..." he said softly. "She... she hasn't spoken since we got back f'om da hospi'al... not one wo'd..." He let out a dark growl. "He hu't Lei-Lei, too... she... she offahed 'erself in da cub's place... but... it was too late..." He let out a soft whine as he remembered that day... returning to the cabin and finding Jewel handcuffed to the couch while Lei was chained to the bed.

"N-no not mom too! That bastard!" She looked VERY upset. "h-he frickin hurt em both! Is she all right?!" she whimpered loudly at this news.

"Lei-Lei won't ta'k 'bout it... Jewel... doesn't ta'k at all... he left dem dere... chained to da couch and bed... bleedin'..."

Cady went white under her fur. No... He'd done that!? When he'd punished her he'd not usually made her bleed; sure he'd chained her up in that chamber of his and beaten the crap out of her but not made her bleed! "Fug! Haven't tried anything to talk to them? Jewel's really hurt if she won't talk at all! She's probably severely traumatized by all this!"

"We've t'ied... all of us... she won' ta'k... I know he's been badleh hu't by dis... but... I don know wha I can do ta fix it..."

"I wish I could help Derek... but I wouldn't know how to. You know my history; there's no difference between it for me." She whimpered. "Poor kids... they don't deserve any of what's happened and happening."

"I know they don't... and... I'm sowi to say I helped him..." He let out a soft whine.

She looked at him. Why say helped him... "what you mean Der?" she looked a bit confused

He sighed and told her the truth, that it was he that had made the entire thing happen. He had made sure the _Bears_ stayed in that particular hotel by booking up all the others. He had gotten rid of the night manager. He had paid off the fire inspector to not check out the hotel. He had brought this upon the cubs...

She looked shocked. Wait, what?! He'd helped this happen?! Why?! Why do it?!

"I... I juzz wan'ed out... to be f'ee ta live the rest of my life with Lei-Lei... I... I feel horrible... now zat I know dem... I... I'm a monstah..."

"Papa, you're not a monster, you were desperate. It wasn't your fault don't get upset. Thrasher played ya didn't he."

"I let dis happen! Dis is all my fau't! I caused all dis!"

"No, ya didn't! Derek, ya know yer not at fault! Please don't blame ya'self!" She looked at him upset at the fact he was blaming it all on himself. "If anyone was to blame for those kids misfortune it's Thimple."

Derek blinked and looked at her. "Thimple?"

"Josh Thimple. From what I heard from Thrasher when he had him in the office and I was there, seemed to be the main reason Thrasher was contacted by him. Something involving revenge on the kids over something... Not exactly sure though."

"I coulda stopped it... but I didn't... I'm a failure..."

"Derek, you aren't a failure don't think that, please. Come on they're okay. We'll get them away from all of this."

"I 'pose yer right... C'mon... Let's go git dis partah s'arted." He gave her a small smile and picked up the guitar cases again.

"Sure Der... c'mon let's go give them some much needed fun" She chuckled and sorted out the stuff she was carrying and started walking up towards the cabin again

He gave her a small smile and began walking as well. "Dis will be fun, eh? I don't t'ink I've been to a partah since I was... eleven..."

"Only party I can remember having was when I was... twelve I think... was nice..." She smiled and ruffled her furry self and walked a bit brisker up the path. "So how we doing this? A surprise party?"

"Yeah... Gotta bake de cake an eve'yt'in. Gonna be interesting... eh?"

"Hehe oooh it's going to be fun! Hope it brings some cheer to em and makes Jewel feel a little better." She smiled at him.

"Maybe get her to ta'k a little..." He smiled at her and let out a soft sigh. "Cady... wha aw we gonna do..."

"Mmm?" She glanced over at him "Do about what Derek? Meaning about getting them out of here?"

"No... About makin a cake..."

"Oh, that's not a problem! I can make one... got the ingredients with me just need to find out what exactly it should be like."

"I don't 'ink it'll be the same..."

"Can do it with Beary. Show him how if he doesn't know how to make on. If it's from him it'll be special"

"That's sounds like it'll work... Yes..." He looked over at the cabin with a small smile as he saw Lei-Lei on the porch, smiling happily as she began preparing the meat.

Cady looked over where he was smiling and grinned happily. Mom... she giggled slightly and walked up to the cabin.

"Wonda if we're gonna 'ave deer s'ew." He licked his lips eagerly and glanced at Cady with a goofy grin. "I 'ope so. So yummy."

"Haven't had that for ages! I've missed moms cooking" She grinned happily at him. "Yum, yum!" She licked her lips. "Where shall I put the stuff once we're inside?"

"Uh... You'll have to ask Lei-Lei..." He looked down at the guitar cases. "I'll... put dese in da shed till latah."

"Hehe all right... hope they like em." She giggled and walked up to her mom with the stuff she smiled. "Hey, mom."

Alakalei paused at what she was doing—cleaning and salting the meat—and looked at Cady in shock. "Cads... What... what are you doing here?"

Cady stepped back a second the smile fading. "Went down the city with Derek to help him out with a few things. Got quite a few bits here." Her ears went back a bit... wasn't she welcome?

"Oh... well... last time you were here..." Tears started to form in her eyes as she let out a soft whine. Her baby had been stolen from her... her last cub, little Nevada, a small albino.

Cady whimpered at that and backed off trembling. No, she wasn't welcome. "I'm... I'm sorry... I'll go... I didn't th-think." She was fighting not to start crying over that memory. She put the things down and started to move away her lip wobbling. She should have stayed away. Her mom didn't want her here.

"No... it's okay... It... was just a bad thought... Please... don't go... please... Cady... I'm sorry... I'm so sorry..." Lei set the meat down on the cutting board and whined as she got up. "Please... Cady... Please forgive me..."

Cady whimpered and looked down sniffling and stopped where she was and stayed put. "I'm sorry, m-mom..." She looked up with her eyes at her mom her ears flopped flat.

"No, don't be... It's my fault... I should have invited you back ages ago... I'm sorry..."

"Y-you sh-shouldn't b-be the one s-saying s-sorry. I sh-should be. I've missed you s-so much!" She sort of shuffled forward towards her mom her head down.

Lei held her arms open and enfolded Cady in a hug. "Shh... It's okay, my Caedia... It'll be all right... I promise..."

Her eyes widened in shock. No one had called her that in years. She buried her head in her mom's neck and sniffled and wrapped her arms around her, slowly calming down, feeling wanted and safe.

"I'm sorry... Shh..." Lei held her close and gently pet her hair. "Shh... Come on, child... sit with me and help me salt the meat, all right?"

Cady smiled against her neck and nodded and nuzzled her and then sort of drew back. "O-okay... m-mom." She gave her one more hug.

"Tell me, what did the pair of you get?" Her eyes suddenly widened when she saw Derek walk over. "D-Derek?! What have you done to your fur?!"

Derek had dyed his fur a rich red. He gave her an innocent look. "It twas Cads idea..."

"Hey! You were one for getting down to the city! I didn't choose that color." She smirked and chuckled and fiddled with the hole in her ear poking a long claw through it and took on an innocent look.

"You tol' me it was da only one ya had!" He gave her an accusing look.

She reached into her pocket for a moment and pulled out a bottle of fur dye which was a dark gray. "Oops forgot I had this one." She grinned at him all mischief and no malice. "Here go and stick this on if that's better."

"He'll burn off his fur with that, if he puts too many chemicals on his fur, Cady," Lei whined. "I'll just have to get used to him like this."

Derek scowled and glared at Cady. "Ya are evil."

Lei started laughing. "Might have had to figure out a way to turn her fur pink in revenge."

Cady grinned and smiled. Hearing Lei, she turned her head and looked at her mom in horror. "No! Not pink! Blech! Aw c'mon anything but pink!" She shook her head quickly.

Lei laughed, and then turned her head and looked over at Jewel, who was standing in the doorway. "Hello, child. How are you feeling?"

Jewel glanced at Cady nervously, before shrugging.

"Oh h-hi, Jewel. You all right?" Cady gave her a smile, remembering what Derek had said. Yeesh she did look a bit peaky. She saw the nervous look and her face softened.

Jewel looked at her again and moved closer to the door.

"It's all right, Jewel. Cady's my adopted daughter. She won't hurt you. Where are the others?" Lei asked softly.

Jewel looked over at the trees first, then back in the cabin.

"They went out hunting again? And Roxi's laying down?"

She nodded.

Cady glanced at her mom for a moment and then at Jewel. Did she really think she'd hurt her? Her ears flopped back against her head. That poor kid.

"Do you want to help me, Jewel? Cady and I were about to finish salting the meat. There's still a bit to go, and since Beary and Dex are out hunting again..."

Jewel nodded slowly. She would like to help... Suddenly, she got this sick expression on her face and she bolted inside.

Lei sighed. "Morning sickness sucks..."

"Poor kid. I know how she feels. Hate morning sickness..." she looked sympathetically in the direction Jewel had just disappeared to. "Hope she's eating and drinking enough"

"We do what we can," Lei said softly. "She'll be out to help us in a moment."

"Hmm you think it's a good idea? She looks pretty bad, mom. She should take it easy and relax if she's feeling sick."

"She needs to keep busy. She has a lot to think about lately." Lei sighed. "Like how to tell her mate... The cubs will be born within three months. As soon as they are... we have to leave. Before Thrasher comes and claims Beary to return... for when he does, he'll find out that Jewel's pregnant..."

"All the more reason to make plans. Three months? I'd pin it at two. If we get sent after you, we'll try and chase you to the city, mom."

Lei sighed. "It's not Derek and my time to leave... we're not meant to... been here too long... but we will get the youngens out..."

"I know, mom... but I don't want any of you to get hurt. You need to get out, too. Please... I don't want you hurt if you get caught," she whimpered.

"I know I'm not getting out, Caedia... but... I will try... I promise..." She looked past Cady and smiled when she saw Jewel return. "How are you feeling, child?"

Jewel simply put a paw on her head and sighed.

"Got a headache Jewel? You feeling all right?" Cady looked over concerned for the she-cub.

The golden female gave a small nod and sat down on the porch, her swollen belly just a little visible.

Cady gave her a small smile. "So what you doing with this meat then mom?" She finished cleaning and salting a large piece and went for another...

"Well, I was thinking of making deer stew. Jewel's been inside chopping up vegetables that we had in the greenhouse and making the gravy. Jewel, do you mind if Cady stays for dinner?"

The she-cub shrugged her shoulders. She didn't care if she did or not.

"I don't want to be a nuisance, mom, besides, Roxi, Dex, and Beary might not want me around. To them they see me as trouble no doubt." She sighed and slapped some of the salt on to the meat and rubbed it in.

"You are staying and that's final." Lei gave her a stern glare. "Besides, there's so many people here... there's going to be a lot to do, and my old bones can't do much anymore."

"Oi you aren't old mom, sure I'll help out and stuff as I don't want you overdoing it... mmm missed your cooking, mom. I can't wait."

"I'm sixty-one, Cadiea... I am old... and tired of living this life... but you already know that." She gave her a sad look.

Cady bowed her head and sighed unhappily. Yeah, she did already know that. "I'm sorry, mom. I shouldn't have said that. I'm sorry."

"Don't be. I don't mind. I'm glad you think I'm younger than I look." She gave her a feisty smirk and winked, laughing.

Cady looked up at her. Was she really all right with that? She'd thought she'd upset her! A small unsure smile crept over her face.

"My bones and mind might be old, but my soul... ooo... You should see what I can do with Derek. Mmm... I definitely give him a run for his money."

Jewel looked down, suddenly uncomfortable, but didn't want anyone to notice.

"Oh mom! Yeesh!" Cady gave a mock grimace and stuck her tongue out although she couldn't stop the deep chuckle rolling from her.

Lei laughed and smiled at her. "Come on, let's get this meat ready for the stew. Jewel, keep chopping those vegetables, please."

The she-cub nodded and picked up a vegetable and cleaned it before setting it on the board and carefully started chopping it up.

Cady watched her doing that and carried on salting and cleaning the meat. "Mmm you know... I might go and yes I know it's not ladylike but I think I might go and see if I can rustle up a few crows."

Jewel sighed and shook her head. She got up, picking up the bag of vegetables and went inside. She looked over at Roxi, who was laying on the couch staring at the ceiling.

"Why don't they have a TV or something... I'm going insane just sitting here," the human complained, wandering out to the porch.

Jewel managed a small smirk and shook her head again. She went over to the counter and once again began chopping the vegetables. She glanced back out the window behind her at the duo on the porch and shook her head.

Cady sighed and glanced over at the cabin. "Can get ya something of the sort if you want, Roxi, even if it's a DVD player." She sighed and got up and wiped her tears away and walked over to the table her shoulders slumped. She took a piece of the meat and salt, and then took a sharp knife. With a few quick controlled slits with the blade had evenly sliced it into pieces she didn't say a word as she concentrated on the task.

Jewel glanced over at her warily, watching her work.

It was only a few more minutes before the three of them came inside to finish their work.

Lei sighed. "Cady, there's no point in a TV. You wouldn't get a signal up here."

Roxi let out an annoyed growl.

"Said DVD player not TV mom. Don't need a signal for that." She cut around with a surgeons precision a piece of sinew and removed it and then sliced the piece of meat. She now had up into bits and added them to the pile she'd made with the previous piece.

Lei blinked. "DVD... player? What is that?"

"You can use these disc things to watch like movies and stuff. You don't need a signal for it to work, mom. Next time I go down to the city. I'll see if I can nip down there tomorrow. I'll getcha one if you want, plus a few DVDs."

"And some watermelon," Roxi put in.

Lei glanced over at her and laughed loudly. "Cravings, eh?"

"I also want ice cream, ranch, mustard, hot dogs, popcorn..."

Cady burst out laughing. "Anything else, Roxi?" She knew what having cravings was like; she had a terrible craving for sweet stuff when she'd been pregnant herself.

"Something to smack Dexter in the head with."

At that, Jewel couldn't suppress her laughter.

**To be continued…**


	26. Chapter Twenty-Five

.~*Chapter Twenty-Five*~.

"He and that damn stamina," Roxi whined, complaining once again about being pregnant and the consequences that came with it: Outgrowing her clothes, cravings, etc.

"That bad huh Rox?" she giggled to herself a big grin on her face.

"Uh-huh. Yup. He did this to me, so now he must pay."

"Hmm, nothing hard around here to hit him with. What about a towel? Could always roll one up and get him with that." She smirked and finished up with the meat she had. "Mom, how much of the meat you want sliced up into bits for the stew? More than what I've done already?"

"Well, since it's such a big gathering... put all of it in, please." She licked her lips at the smell of the meat.

"Okie dokie. Heh, uh, mom? Is that a little drool I see?" she giggled and then slit and sliced up half of the meat, making sure no fat or sinew remained on the pieces.

"Oh, very funny. Hey, save some of that fat. Makes the meat delicious."

Jewel shook her head sadly as she watched them. She wanted so much to go up to her room... and just sleep...

"Hey, look who's just coming back." She grinned and looked out the window at the pair exiting out of the forest

Lei looked out the window and smiled. "Looks like Dex and Beary had a good hunt... That's a pretty big buck." She watched as Derek went over to help the pair, and the three of them went to the shed. "We're going to eat like kings for a while..."

"Mmmmm yup. They both look like they could do with a sit down. Heh, Dex especially. How's his head by the way? The back of it?" She watched them go into the shed.

"It's been a few months since that happened, Cady. He's fine. Beary's doing well, too. His skull's all healed. He's limping a little, though, unfortunately; well, not so much as little, but a tad heavily. All that damage done to his legs. Simply dreadful."

The golden cub looked over at Lei and let out a soft whimper before getting up and leaving the kitchen, heading upstairs.

Lei frowned and sighed. "Poor child..."

About fifteen minutes later, the males began to enter the cabin.

"W-What... a-are y-you... d-do-doing... here...?" Beary stammered as he entered the cabin, eyes fixated on Cady. His mind traveled back slightly to the time when he had been... toyed with by her and Thrasher... He knew that she had been high on something when that had happened, but that still made him wary.

Dex entered next, and held up his fists defensively, standing in front of his brother. "What the hell do you want?! Go away! You've already hurt us!"

She turned around her to look at them. "Just helping mom along with a few things. I'm sorry about that day, Dex. I really didn't know who I'd been sent along to get. If I'd known..." She sighed and finished up the meat and then went and washed her paws. "I know you all hate me. I'm sorry. Guess I better go anyway." There was hurt in her voice as well as in her eyes; it was clear she really was remorseful for her actions.

Dex didn't care about the emotion in her eyes. To him, there was no emotion.

Beary, on the other hand, looked at the sad expression on Lei's face. He knew she wanted Cady to stay... "Y-you... c-c-can s-st-stay... p-please..."

"Beary, what are you doing?!" Dex cried, looking at his brother in confusion.

"Lei's her mom, Dex... I won't separate a mother and cub..." he said softly in return, glancing back at his brother with sorrow in his eyes. "Wouldn't be fair..."

"Doofus..." The human sighed and looked warily at Cady.

She shook her head. "Don't deserve any kindness, especially from you Beary. Mom? Is there anything else needed? I'll go get it." She looked at Dex and sighed moving away.

Beary reached out and took her paw, trembling slightly. "No... yo-you h-ha-have t-to s-stay..." he whimpered. "L-Lei needs you... pl-please..."

Lei looked at her and nodded. "Please, Cady... don't go..."

She glanced down at his paw and looked at him. "All right, I'll stay, but I won't bother you if you don't want me near you all; know you don't trust me."

"You got that right," Dex growled, looking away. He was seriously not amused with what his brother had done. How dare Beary invite this jerk to stay with them for dinner? Didn't he understand what she had done?

Beary gave her a small smile before looking at Lei questioningly.

"She's upstairs, kiddo," Lei smiled at him.

He nodded, released Cady's paw, and went upstairs to talk to Jewel, or, at least, try to get her to talk to him.

Cady looked at Dex. "You really think I wanted to do that? Dex, I know you hate me, but I really am sorry for all of this, and for what's happened. I had no choice. If I did I'd have found a way to give you a warning and get away. If I'd known who you were all, I was told was to go and get you. Wasn't told anything else."

"Why would it matter who we are? You're just a cold-hearted bitch who thinks she can act all upset and people will forgive her. You got us into this mess! You put Roxanne and my child in danger! All you had to do was say 'no' to the guy! But judging by what they said in the van as you were driving us here, if you had said 'no' he wouldn't have had sex with you. You're pathetic. Don't even try apologizing, because I know you don't mean it, and you know that too."

"Dex!" Lei growled, stepping in front of Cady and towering over the human. "That is enough! What she did was wrong, yes, but she had no choice! In this place, it's either behave and do as you or told or be killed, sold, or depelted and have your pelt sold while your meat goes into the soup for the other slaves!"

"Dex, honey, please... I do agree with you, but you're going about this all wrong..." Roxi said softly. "You always were a hothead... She could have seriously hurt us if she wanted while dragging us here, but she was gentle... Except for that bonk on your head, though I don't blame her. You do have a hard head."

Dex scowled and glared at them all. "You're ganging up on me! ARGH! I'm going for a walk!" He forcefully opened the door and stormed out, slamming it close behind him.

Lei frowned and looked out at the darkening sky. "I better go tell Derek to keep an eye on him... if he leaves the meadow at night..."

_.~*~._

Beary sadly sat next to Jewel, gently running a paw down her cheek. "Come on, Jewel... at least eat the carrot... You've barely eaten..."

The golden cub looked at the carrot for a moment before taking a small bite, just to please him.

He smiled happily. "That's it. Go on and eat, honey. Later, we'll have some deer and rabbit. Please, Jewel, eat it for me?"

Slowly, the she-cub took the carrot and sat up, leaning against him and nibbling on it. She snuggled up close to him, purring softly.

Beary's ears swiveled upon hearing a knock at the trapdoor. "Come on in..." He hoped whomever it was brought something for Jewel to eat. That carrot wouldn't last forever.

Cady shivered and cleared her throat. She knocked again, a bit anxious about going and talking to them. What if she made things worse for Beary and Jewel? What if she said something that would be bad?

Beary looked back. "I said come on in. You know I only have that door closed for safety reasons." He picked up a brush and sat behind Jewel, slowly brushing her messy hair. "Shall I braid it today, Gem?"

She nodded slowly, still nibbling on the carrot.

Cady sighed and slowly pushed the door open, poking her head in. Her ears flopped back, her mouth suddenly became dry. "B-Beary? Um, c-can I c-come in? Mom sent m-me up."

He stopped brushing for a moment, ears slowly laying back, before resuming. "If Lei sent you, it must be for a reason. Jewel, may she come in? She won't hurt you, I promise."

Slowly, Jewel nodded.

Beary continued brushing, not looking at Cady. "Come on in. Sorry we don't have any chairs up here."

"That's okay, I'm not going to bother you two long. No, I wouldn't want to hurt either of you, you're just kids for Ursute's sake. Umm... I came up here for a reason, well, other than mom sending me up here." She sighed and hung her head. "Came up here to apologize. I know how much you hate me, Beary, and I'm sorry, sorry for all that. I know this sound like an excuse, but I don't even remember half of what happened… in that room. All I remember before is Thrasher drugging me with something... I don't remember much else."

He didn't say anything for a while before sighing. "I know. I know because he did the same thing to me a couple of times... to get me to cooperate... Then again, all he had to do was threaten Jewel, and I would do anything... anything to protect her..." He looked back. "I don't blame you for what happened... but I do ask one thing... That you help us..."

"Hun, I'm on your side, I know what you're really after, what you all are, I will help you." She paused. "Wait are you telling me he got you with that stuff, too?"

"Yes... I... I fought against him... when... when he tried to..." He glanced back at her with tear filled eyes. "You and Jewel and Lei and Derek... weren't the only ones he hurt..."

She sighed and looked around. "Not going to let this happen again... never again." She put her paw back in her pocket and frowned. She whined and scrabbled in her other pockets. Where was it?!

"Thank you," Beary replied, starting to braid Jewel's hair.

Beary and Jewel looked back at her in slight surprise as she began digging through her pockets. Whatever was she doing?

Jewel frowned and glanced down at a lonely photograph before picking it up and studying it. She didn't recognize anyone in the photo, but knew it wasn't hers. Maybe this was what Cady was looking for? Slowly, she held it out to her.

Cady whimpered still looking for it. It was all she had left of her daughter. She looked up and gasped, holding her paw out shakily, her face haunted. "Thank you. I thought I'd lost it. It's all I have of Talia." She took it and put it hastily away a look of relief that it wasn't lost. "Thank you, Jewel, thank you."

"Talia? Who's Talia?" Beary asked, curiously.

Jewel also looked curious, but didn't say anything.

"My daughter. That picture is all I have left of her." She shivered and sniffled. It had been three years since Derek had taken her away.

"Oh... That's terrible..." Beary looked at her with sad eyes. "I really am sorry, Cady..."

Jewel looked down, whimpering softly as she placed a paw on her belly. Would that happen to her child? The child Beary didn't know she was carrying? Would she end up like this stranger? With only a picture?

Cady sighed. "Least she's away from this place. Derek took her away, got her adopted. I'll find her again, someday." She glanced at Jewel. "Won't let it happen to you, Jewel. No way honey, I'll getcha both out of here, you both and Beary's brother and his girl."

"There's no way it will happen to Jewel... I refuse to let it happen to her. I won't let her be a breeder. I won't let her bare a child until she's at least eighteen."

Jewel looked down, tears rolling down her cheeks.

Cady looked sadly at Jewel and got up and sat beside her making soothing noises. "Jewel, honey, it's okay. I won't let anything happen to you. I promise, you're gonna be all right sweetheart. Shh." She looked at Beary and sighed, shaking her head slightly. Jewel needed to tell him before anything more happened; she needed him more than ever now that she was pregnant.

Beary finished braiding her hair and tied it off. "I'm going downstairs to help out and bring you some more food, all right, Jewel?" He kissed her cheek and squeezed her paw before pulling away and going downstairs.

_.~*~._

Beary smiled as he led Jewel down the stairs to the dinner table, which had stew in the center. Dex, Roxi, Lei, Derek, and Cady were waiting for them, smiling joyfully. "Happy birthday, Jewel!" Dex called.

"Here, here!" Roxi replied.

"Happy birthday, honey," Cady grinned and gave her a smile. "You look beautiful, Jewel."

Jewel blushed and looked down, embarrassed, but couldn't hide the smile that crossed her lips. Beary had gone to the greenhouse and gotten some flowers that Lei had been growing and put them in her braid.

Beary smiled and kissed her cheek as he led her to the table and pulled out a chair for her, pushing it back in when she sat down. He then sat next to her and Dex.

Derek smiled at her and then at his wife grinning, his belly gave a huge rumble, which made him blush red. His fur was still a little orangey red from the dye but at least it hadn't turned pink. "Lei-lei? Ya need any help with that at all?"

"Hm?" Lei looked at him curiously. "No, Derek. I've got this. You've been out hunting all day. It's time for you to rest, papabear." She smiled gently as she began bringing the food over, scooping up some food for everyone and distributing it at the table. She was rather embarrassed that there was so little room at the table. It was only meant to seat four, and there were seven to be seated, so it was rather crowded.

Jewel grinned and looked at Beary, gently squeezing his paw. When her plate was put in front of her, she looked up at Lei, smiling.

"You're welcome, Jewel." Lei kissed her forehead and smiled back at her. She then grabbed everyone else's plate, bringing them over to the table and distributing them. Finally, she sat down. "Thanks to all of you, we have a grand feast! But make sure to save room in your stomach. We have some dessert as well!"

Jewel blinked in surprise. Dessert?

Beary chuckled and squeezed Jewel's paw. "Eat up, love."

Dex smirked and glanced at Roxi. "That goes for you, too, missy."

"Dex! Just because I'm pregnant doesn't mean you can boss me, big boy." She gave him a scowl then a smirk and kissed his cheek.

Derek chuckled at that and grinned happily, his mouth watered at the smell of that stew. He licked his chops in anticipation, which caused both Cady and Roxi to try and stifle their mirth.

Dex smirked. "Dude, just eat already." He reached for his fork.

Lei frowned and smacked his paw. "Not until we thank Terrea for this food." She folded her paws and said a prayer before smiling, blinking when she saw them glaring at her. "Okay, okay, you can eat!" She laughed goodheartedly, knowing that they were starving. It had been a while since they'd had plenty to eat, and with it being winter, meat was hard to come by, not to mention her vegetables in the greenhouse, growing out of season. Oh well, they did what they had to survive.

Jewel smiled and began to eat, taking a few tentative bites before really digging in. She was ravenous.

Beary's face lit up, seeing her eating. It made him happy seeing her being healthy. He, too, began to eat, and next to him, Dex did as well.

Roxi dug into her stew gobbling it up; she'd never thought anything could taste so good. "This ish delishus, Lei," she mumbled through a mouth full of the yummyness.

"Hey, how come she can do that and you smack me Lei-lei?" Derek gave her an impish look.

"Because she's pregnant and you're not." Lei gave him a devilish smirk.

And so, they laughed and told stories around the table, and when everyone had had their fill of the deer stew, Lei cleared the plates smiled. "Beary, you can go get it now."

Beary grinned brightly and left the room, heading for Derek and Lei's bedroom.

Jewel blinked, confused.

He returned a few minutes later with a strawberry cake with white frosting and thirteen burning candles. "Happy birthday, Jewel."

Tears gathered in her eyes. He... He'd gotten her a cake? Her eyes widened when the others began to sing "Happy Birthday" to her. She blushed a deep crimson and as soon as Beary had put the cake down, she got up and hugged him tightly, kissing his cheek.

Roxi winked at Beary as he got lathered up in kisses grinning. Jewel had never seemed so happy since being there.

Derek grinned happily and leaned over, giving his wife a smooch, beaming at the young ones. Jewel had changed a lot it was great to finally see her come out of her shell again

Lei smiled brightly, finally breathing a sweet sigh of relief at the fact that Jewel was actually... well, being Jewel. She leaned over. "Derek, why don't you go get the gifts?"

"Hmm? Oh yeah, yeah, sure." He got up and snuck off about five minutes later came back holding two large packages.

Beary was laughing as Jewel shoved cake in his mouth and he did the same to her. Oh, how he wished she'd talk! He could see a twinkle in her eye, and it made him so... so... happy.

Lei smiled and got up, joining Derek, taking one of the packages. "Beary, Jewel, Derek and I bought you a little something..."

Beary blinked. Bought him something? Whatever for?

Jewel was confused. Gifts? She hadn't expected anything like that! Then again, she hadn't expected a cake, either.

Cady's face fell slightly and her ears went down. She kept her eyes down, nibbling on the cake, finding the taste of it more appealing. Oh well better for it to be from them; she was just a catcher. A nobody.

Derek nodded happily and presented them both with the gifts. He hoped that they'd like them "Here you go."

Lei glanced at Cady, frowning, before leaning towards Derek as they gave the cubs their gifts. "Derek... Did Cady help you buy the guitars?" She gestured towards her adopted daughter's expression. She was confused. Hadn't Derek bought them? If he hadn't, why hadn't Cady spoken to her about it before? Her face began to heat up under embarrassment. What could she say to make it better?

"And, um, Caedia helped pick them out." Would that work? She wasn't sure. She couldn't stand seeing her downcast expression, knowing she'd caused it.

Beary and Jewel smiled and thanked them all before curiously opening the packages, which had been wrapped in blankets, skewing their shape. To their shock and amazement, they found... guitar cases?

Their eyes widened and filled with delight when they opened the cases, finding the majestic beauties within.

Dex got up and whistled, looking over Beary's shoulder. "Very nice."

"I'd forgotten my wallet. She paid for both," Derek muttered into his wife's ear. He then went over into a cupboard and pulled out a slightly small dusty bottle of a dark golden liquid and slipped it into Cady's paw with a small smile. He'd saved that for a few years so would be perfect.

Roxi was grinning from ear to ear looking at the gifts Derek and Lei had gotten her boyfriend's brother and mate. "Wow they look amazing! You two are so lucky!"

Cady pocketed the mead that Derek gave her saving it for later.

"It's good seeing you happy, honey." Roxi hugged her, feeling the bump press up against her own causing her to wince slightly.

Derek grinned as he hugged them both. "You're most welcome, ya two. It's good seeing ya this happy. Never seen you two this happy it's real nice."

Beary smiled and went back over, picking up his guitar. Quietly, he began to tune it, knowing the sounds each note was by heart. Once finished, he smiled gently and began to play a little tune...

And the sounds echoed into the night...

_.~*The Country Bears*~._

Beary's body began to relax as he settled into the bubbling water in the hot tub. Lei and Derek, as a surprise with Dex and Roxi, had fixed it up for him and Jewel for her birthday. He was mostly naked, but had a pair of shorts on. He closed his eyes as Jewel stripped completely. It had been a long time since he'd seen her nude, and it made him blush at the thought. He felt he didn't deserve to gaze upon her beautiful form.

A soft sigh left Jewel's lips as she slipped into the water, her fur sodden. She took her time, getting used to the gentle heat—Beary hadn't turned it up too hot, more like a warmer than normal warm bath, before sitting on the bench next to Beary and resting her head on his shoulder. She felt his arm wrap around her shoulders, giving her little comfort in the turmoil that had become her life.

Neither spoke. In fact, they hadn't really spoken for a few months, even though they had slept side-by-side every night since The Incident. They took comfort in each other's arms, but neither knew what to tell the other. Well, Beary had tried to talk to Jewel, but Jewel had been truly traumatized by her raping and wouldn't talk back.

The she-cub thought about what she had learned earlier that day, and tried to figure out how she was going to tell Beary. She couldn't believe it had happened. When she first found out, she had been super excited, but as the hours passed, she realized the gravity of the situation. She was nowhere near mature enough to raise a cub. Not only that, but what if the child wasn't even Beary's? What if Lei had been wrong when she had said that Thrasher was sterile? Another thought made itself known, this one striking fear into her heart.

Beary didn't want her to have a cub. Was he going to abandon her now? Was he going to hate her?

Jewel fought to hold back her tears at the horrible questions in her mind.

Beary, meanwhile, gently squeezed her shoulder and rested his head against hers. He let the massaging jet streams relax his tense muscles. He could feel Jewel's tense body as she leaned against him. "Try to relax, Jewel," he said softly, kissing the top of her head. "Let the jet streams relax you... It's good for the body." He knew she wasn't going to respond; she never did.

Not since that day.

Just thinking about The Incident brought tears to his eyes. He should have been there for her, to protect her from the perverted sadist. The memory of walking through the cabin door and finding Jewel chained to the couch, bruised, bleeding, and crying, her clothes scattered on the floor... It was all still fresh in his mind.

Beary blamed himself for what had happened to her. He knew it was his fault. He had gotten Jewel into this mess, and now she was traumatized because of it.

"I... Jewel, I'm... I'm sorry..."

The she-cub blinked, confused. She pulled away from him and looked into his eyes.

The young male went on rambling about how it was his fault that she had been attacked, and that he should have been there to protect her. He kept apologizing over and over again, tears rolling down his cheeks.

Jewel couldn't believe this. He was still apologizing for that? It wasn't his fault, so why... why was he blaming himself? She could see the tears rolling down his cheeks, and she couldn't stand it.

"I wasn't there for you and-" Beary broke off, surprised when Jewel gripped his paw tightly and forced him to stand, the water coming to their hips. His eyes widened when she looked him in the eye and put his paw on her stomach.

He blinked, confused for a few moments before he realized something. Normally, Jewel's stomach was quite soft and squishy, but now... It was swollen. As his paw continued resting on her swollen belly, he felt something. A small... Thump against his palm. There were about two more "thumps".

The twelve-year-old looked into Jewel's eyes, confused.

"Y-You h-have to... To be there... for me now... And... And for our child..." Jewel whispered so softly that Beary almost missed it.

Well, that did it. Beary fainted.

Jewel's eyes widened in shock when her boyfriend collapsed into the hot tub. "Beary!" she cried, hurriedly pulling his head above the water so he didn't drown. She splashed water on his face, hoping to wake him. Thankfully, that did the trick as he woke up sputtering. Jewel sat beside him, looking at him with worried eyes.

Beary, in turn, stared at her, confused and shocked. He was positive he had been dreaming. "Ugh... Weird dream..." he muttered. "More like a nightmare..."

Her eyes filled with tears. She knew he thought her being pregnant was a nightmare. The she-cub looked away, not wanting him to see her tears. There was only one thing she could do now: she had to have an abortion. Then Beary would come back to her. He wouldn't call her a nightmare anymore.

He looked at her, confused as to why she was crying. It had just been a nightmare, right? Jewel wasn't pregnant; she couldn't be. She was too young, anyway; all the others he had been forced onto were much older. Beary reached out and put a paw on her shoulder. "Jewel... That was a dream, right...?" he asked cautiously, worried about the answer.

Jewel stiffened. She knew she had to tell him that no, it hadn't been a dream, so she opened her mouth to speak. Nothing came out.

Beary pulled his mate towards him, wrapping his paws around her middle. "Jewel, talk to m-" He broke off, feeling another light "thump" against his palm. Once again, he could feel how swollen her belly had gotten. "Oh gods..."

The golden thirteen-year-old's lower lip trembled as the tears rolled down her cheeks. She, too, could feel the cub inside her kick angrily. "I... I'm s-so-sorry!" she cried, her heart filled with pain. All her emotions began to spill out at once. Her anger, sorrow, pain, and who knows what else, had finally built up enough for her to explode. She couldn't take it as she cried harder than she had ever done before.

The light brown, white faced, twelve-year-old couldn't believe it. His mind went blank as he let go of her and leaned back against the edge of the tub. This couldn't be happening. She couldn't be pregnant. He hadn't even slept with her for the past three or four months! Well, he had slept with her, but not in that way!

...Right?

He suddenly sat upright, horrified. He hadn't slept with her... But she had been raped by Thrasher! '_Oh, shit_,' he mentally swore. '_That frickin bastard got her pregnant!_'

He looked at Jewel, watching as she broke down. The thoughts that went through his mind were dark. He wanted her to get rid of the cub. He did not want her to be the mother of the bastard's child. "Jewel? Get rid of the child," he growled.

Jewel was beyond hearing as she continued to cry. She only stopped briefly when Beary grabbed her shoulders and forced her to look at him.

"Jewel! I want you to get rid of the cub!"

She looked at him, stunned. Did... Did he really just say what she thought he did? That didn't sound like him at all... But, if it would make him not think of her as a nightmare again, then she had no choice. She had to talk to Lei about getting an... an abortion. "I... I will..." She whispered, the tears rolling down her cheeks still. Beary wanted her to get rid of their child. He wanted her to kill it.

Her eyes traveled downwards, and she didn't speak again.

.~*~.

Beary was deep in thought as he deboned the deer and packed the meat away. This was his first hunt alone, and he had come out victorious—not that he cared. Jewel and Lei—with Cady tagging along so she could go back to the "base"—had headed down the mountain to the city, so Jewel could have her abortion, about an hour or two ago. It would take them about four hours to get down the mountain, so they had started out early this morning.

In the meantime, Derek had sent Beary out to hunt. Dex would have gone with him, but Roxi had fallen ill, and he had to be there for her.

The twelve-year-old thought about Jewel, the baby, and the abortion she was going to have. He couldn't get his mind off of it. Having the abortion could destroy Jewel, sending her to a place in her mind where he may never reach her again. Was forcing her to have the abortion the right thing to do?

'_Of course it was_,' he told himself. '_She couldn't be the mother of Thrasher's child._'

Something nagged at the back of his mind. He knew something was missing from his memory. The expression on Jewel's face when he had told her to have an abortion... It hadn't been of relief; it had been of horror. Why would she be horrified to get rid of Thrasher's child? Unless...

No, it wasn't possible. Beary hadn't slept with her since taking her as his bonded... Had he? Why couldn't he remember?

He sat back on his heels, searching his memories for the answer.

Nothing came to him.

'_What am I worrying about? Jewel'll be back soon, without a cub._' With that thought, he finished packing the meat away in the knapsacks, and then put them in his backpack. He also packed the scraps in some knapsacks and put them in next to the meat. He gathered the rest up in a thick garbage sack. Once he had gathered everything up, he was ready to head back to the cabin.

It took him an hour to get back and to pack everything in the freezer, but as soon as he was done, he washed his paws thoroughly and headed into the house.

Derek sat on the couch, staring at the floor. He looked up when Beary walked through the door and softly sighed.

"How was your hunt?" Dex asked, glancing at his brother from where he sat next to Roxi, who seemed to have finally fallen asleep.

"I got a young but fat buck. I put the meat in the freezer," the cub said, going over to the refrigerator. He was starving. He looked into the food storage device and sighed. He would have to wait for Lei to get back to make something.

He felt Derek's glare upon him, and he looked back at the panda. "What?"

"Can't believe ya did dat ta 'er," the panda replied.

Beary sat down on the other couch and rolled his eyes. "She shouldn't have to be the mother of his child."

Derek blinked. "Who's child?"

"Thrasher's." Beary spat out the name like it was a vile taste on his tongue he was trying to rid himself of.

"Boy, whaddah ya 'alkin 'bout?"

"The... cub... It's Thrasher's."

"Uh... 'T'as'ah is sterile... He can't 'ave a cub."

The young bear blinked several times, confused. "But... He r-r-raped her... He was the only one with her..."

It was Derek's turn to be confused as he looked at the cub. "Ya was wit' 'er, too." Seeing how confused Beary looked, Derek went on to tell the story of what happened the morning of The Incident.

Dex blushed and turned away. He still had trouble thinking of Beary and Jewel being together in that way.

The crimson blush that crept up Beary's face was clearly visible through his white facial fur. Had he really carried Jewel up the stairs to her bed and... made love to her? With no Thrasher forcing them to do it? Derek said he did, so they must've. But why didn't he remember it? Was it because of the drama that had happened later on that day?

Wait. Derek said that Thrasher was sterile. That meant...

Beary's eyes couldn't have gotten any wider as realization donned on him. The cub Jewel was carrying was his, not Thrasher's. He had told Jewel to kill their child. "Oh, great Ursute..." Without waiting another minute, Beary got up and raced out of the house. He had to get to Jewel quickly before she did something they were both going to regret.

Sure, she had a three hour head start, but... He had to try.

He ran until his legs ached, and his breath was ragged. He didn't know how long he had been running, or how far he had gone, but finally he had to collapse.

Beary glanced around, not sure of where he was. He didn't recognize this part of the forest. He had never been this far away from the cabin. He was lost.

He put a paw on his chest, trying to catch his breath. '_No! I have to get up! I have to find her!_' He forced himself up and continued to walk.

He had to reach her and tell her to not go through with the abortion.

Beary couldn't believe what he had told her to do. He never would have told her to do it if he had known. "JEWEL!" he screamed, hoping that somehow she would hear him.

"I'm right here," a soft voice said, emanating from his left.

He froze in his tracks and slowly turned. He stared in shock as the silver and golden females walked out from behind a couple trees, one with tears in her eyes.

"Jewel..." he murmured, fearing the worst. Had she already made it down the mountain and had the abortion? Is that why she was crying?

Jewel stared at him, her eyes filled with tears. "I... I couldn't do it," she whispered, her shoulders shaking. She kept her paws on her belly, feeling the soft kicking of the infant inside her. "I... I'm s-sorry..."

Beary wasted no time in running towards her, wrapping his arms around her frame. "I'm so sorry!" he cried, holding her tightly. One paw rested on her back, and the other held her head against his as he cried. "I... I di-didn't know! I didn't know it was our cub!"

The mother-to-be hooked her arms under his shoulders and cried against his neck.

Lei watched them with a small smile. She and Jewel had gone about halfway down the mountain before Jewel had broken down in tears, refusing to take another step. The young she-cub couldn't handle taking an innocent life.

"Jewel," he whispered, still holding her. "T-Take the... Take the trials with me... Become my Bonded..."

Fresh tears rolled down her cheeks as she nodded. "I will..."


	27. Chapter Twenty-Six

.~*Chapter Twenty-Six*~.

**The _First Trial_:** _The Untrue Trial_

Beary nervously went over to where Dex and Roxi sat on their sofa. "Um… Can… Can I talk to you?"

Dex looked up, curious. "Beary? What is it?"

The twelve-year-old nervously licked his lips. "Um… I… I asked Jewel to take the _Trials_ with me… so… so we could become _Bonded_…"

Roxi blinked, glancing at Dex. "_Trials_?"

Dex nodded. Lei had told him what the cubs had decided, and she'd told him about what happens during them. She'd also said that it was up to Beary to come up to him and Roxi about asking if they'd sponsor him. They were not allowed to go to him. He had to go to them. "It will be explained later."

She pouted slightly before turning back to Beary. "So… what about them?"

"I… I was wondering… if you'd sponsor me… be my guardians," the cub went on. He looked at them searchingly. What if they said 'no'? What if they laughed in his face? What if—

Dex smiled and looked at Roxi, who was confused. "Rox, the _Trials_ are part of the old ways that bears used to marry. It's the only way Beary and Jewel can marry at this age, right now. They need an _Iudex_, as well. Without the _Iudex_, the _Trials_ cannot commence."

"Do they have one yet? What's the point of agreeing if they don't have one?" Roxi asked. She was in one of her moods and didn't feel like cooperating.

Dex frowned. "They're actually getting it cleared with… that… blockhead about bringing one up here. And I'm pretty sure he's not stupid enough to kidnap him or her, because the _Iudex_ is a judge, and to kidnap a judge… Well, it would just bring all sorts of trouble down on him." He'd finally calmed down a bit about being here, and was starting to think. He had to keep a low profile, at least for now, and not risk trouble for the others.

He looked at his younger brother. "Beary, give us a little time to think about it, all right? Knowing that you're trying to marry Jewel, and at such a young age… Well, we need to get our heads wrapped around the idea."

Beary whimpered and nodded. "O-Oh, a-all right… Um, I'm going to go shovel the snow." He walked outside, leaving them alone in the cabin. Fresh snow had fallen the night before, and the drifts were pretty high, but had finally stopped snowing a few hours ago, and Derek had left that morning for the city.

He already knew that Jewel had asked Derek and Lei to sponsor her, and they'd agreed already. He was the only one having trouble.

Sighing, he pulled on his coat from where it hung in the outside closet—something that Lei and Derek had set up since they didn't really have room in the cabin for a closet. He then grabbed the shovel and began scooping up the snow off the porch, then starting on a path to the shed, and from the shed to the forest. The snow was almost three feet high in places, and in others was about a foot.

About three hours later, when he could no longer feel his paws and feet, Dex arrived, also bundled up in a jacket.

"God, it's cold out here," the human muttered, also holding a shovel.

"Well, we are living on a mountain, Dex."

Dex cuffed him over the ear. "Oh, hush. You have fur."

Beary smirked and laughed. "I could always give you my sheddings."

"Fat lotta good that'll do me. Bunch of loose fur."

"Hey, you could shove it in your sleeves."

Dex scowled at him. "And be itchy? No, thank you."

"Just trying to help." He shrugged and dug into the deep snow.

Dex moved in next to him—Beary had made the path about four feet across—and began shoveling as well. They worked in silence for a few minutes before Dex finally spoke.

"So… you're really going to do this, huh?"

Beary glanced at him. "Hm?"

"Marry Jewel… Man, that sounds weird… My little brother getting married before me."

Beary sighed. "I wished it had been different… That I could have dated her for years, and then, when we were older, asked her to marry me. Then we would've gotten married at, I don't know, the _Hall_, I suppose, and… and everyone would have been there, all smiling happily and wishing us luck.

"Mom, Dad, and Papa sitting in the seats, and Tennessee leading his daughter down the aisle… Jewel wearing a beautiful dress…" He looked down and stopped for a few moments. "But now that's impossible. If I could, I'd wait, but Lei said that those… those cubs, my cubs, will be born in almost three months… Jewel can become their spiritual mother if I marry her…

"Jewel's also pregnant with my child… I'm almost ashamed it happened, but at the same time, I'm happy. It strengthens our relationship, right? However, there's also a problem… if we don't marry, then the child will be labeled as a bastard. My other cubs will be labeled as those, but I do not want Jewel's cub to be labeled as such."

"So, what you're saying, you're marrying her because of only that one reason?"

"NO! I want to marry her because I love her! I've always loved her! I want to spend the rest of my life with her, and we can raise our child in secret, up here at the cabin. She's already my _Bonded_ in the physical sense, and I want her in the spiritual sense as well. Not only is it the right thing to do, but it is the most insane thing to do.

"I know we're very young, but I also want to know that we'll be together forever… I can't see myself falling for anyone else, Dex. When I imagine myself growing old, I see her by my side. She's my Gem, Dex. I love her so much that it hurts!"

Dex took a deep breath and looked at him. "Then, if you're sure, Roxi and I will sponsor you. These _Trials_ will be dangerous and will definitely test you, but I'm sure you and Jewel will pass with flying colors."

Beary's eyes widened and he wrapped his arms around his brother. "T-Thank you, Dex… Thank you so much."

The human smiled and hugged him back. "You're welcome, Beary." Inwardly, he wondered if he'd just made a big mistake, and helped Beary made a bad decision. The next few days, weeks, or months, depending on how long the _Trials_ take, would be interesting.

He just hoped that they wouldn't ruin Beary and Jewel's relationship.

"Now, come on inside. We can finish this after we get something warm."

_.~*The Trials*~._

Faye Tality glanced at her brother as she walked beside him up the mountain. She had been shocked when he'd arrived at her doorstep at five in the morning, ringing the doorbell. Mrs. Norse, the woman she rented a room from, had not been pleased at being up an hour earlier than normal.

Apologizing to her, Faye brought Derek into the kitchen after asking her how he'd found her, and was surprised when he'd told her that they needed an _Iudex_ for the two cubs, and that he couldn't say how he'd found her. He'd also told her that she couldn't tell anyone, for if she did, everyone connected to the base would be killed; Thrasher would leave no witnesses, and now that Derek had come to ask her for her to be an _Iudex_, she'd be put into danger. Faye had argued with him about it, but finally consented, knowing this was the only way.

She had called into work, telling them that she'd be overseeing a _Bonding_ _Ceremony_, including the _Trials_, and would be away from work for a while. Thankfully, the courts had agreed, since technically she _was_ working and she would be paid as long as she provided a full report at the end.

She left out that little detail when she told Derek that she would go with him.

Faye had then gone up to Mrs. Norse and explained the situation, and that she'd prepay for the next two months' rent. She did not say where she was going, but that she would be back when it was all over. As _Iudex_, she had to be on scene at all times for the final four _Trials_ to prevent cheating.

The little old lady agreed to not sell her room and went back to bed. Faye, meanwhile, went up to pack before driving down to the courthouse to gather the supplies needed for the _Trials_ to be done, including two marriage licenses and two marriage certificates. She grabbed two because it was best to have a backup, just in case something happened during transit.

It had been almost four hours since then, and they'd been walking ever since. Faye was getting exhausted, but continued onward.

"We're a'most dere," Derek said, glancing at her. "Ya need a b'eak?"

"Break? Me? Nah. I'm fine. How about you?"

"Good, good. S'ow makin dis difficu't, dough."

She nodded in agreement. It was cold, but at least the drifts in the woods weren't too deep.

They continued for about another hour before finally reaching the meadow. Derek searched a bit before finding the path he had shoveled in the snow, and thankfully it wasn't very full, considering he'd shoveled it out while it was still snowing.

He walked in front of her, shuffling through the snow to somewhat clear her a path, and finally they made it to the porch.

Faye blinked, taking in the medium-sized cabin with a small smile. "It's beautiful, Derek," she said softly.

"Yeah, our old… master… got it for us a few yea's ago… kind of a 'eward."

"Reward?"

"Fo our… coopa'ation."

She frowned slightly, but shook it off. At least they weren't trapped in some kind of cage.

"Ain't much, but, it home."

She gave him a small smile and walked up on the porch, stomping her feet and bending over to brush the snow off her jeans. She straightened up, stretched, and took off her large suitcase, watching as her older brother did the same. She'd been forced to bring two, one for clothes and the other for the _Trials_.

Faye followed her brother's example and took off her coat, shaking it off and storing it in this wooden outdoors closet. She was rather curious about why they kept their coats outside, but didn't ask.

Derek smiled and opened the door, inviting her inside.

The she-panda smiled and walked in, looking around in surprise. There were two humans laying on one of the couches, fast asleep, and food cooking on the stove.

A golden head poked out of the hallway. "Um, Beary's o-out in the sh-shed, getting the meat." Spotting the newcomer, Jewel let out a squeak and jumped back, running up some stairs.

Faye blinked. "Was that…?"

"Jewel? Mhm. Um, ya can s'eep on the other couch… Don't got 'nother room… Sowi."

"It's all right," Faye whispered, not wanting to wake the sleeping duo. She set her suitcases down by the couch opposite the humans. "I'm gonna take a nap before dinner, if that's all right?"

He nodded and smiled before walking back outside.

_.~*The Trials*~._

Faye glanced around at the gathered group around the wooden table. They were all eating their fill of something Lei had called "deer stew"—Faye found it to actually be quite delicious—and being quiet.

She studied the two cubs, knowing them to be the missing cubs from September. It angered her quite a bit knowing that her brother had kept them up here instead of returning them home. But who were the humans? Then she remembered something that Kaspian had mentioned to her the last time she saw him: Two humans who were connected to the case and being in witness protection had disappeared. If she ever saw Lei and Derek again, she was to ask them about the missing persons.

Well, now she knew who they were, and that they looked all right. The female, however, was pregnant, as was the young she-bear. Poor little thing, so young to be pregnant.

"I am Faye Tality, and I am the _Iudex_, overseer of the _Trials_ and the _Bonding_ Ceremony. I will be staying here with you for the next month and a half in order for the _Trials_ to be completed. I take it the _First Trial_ has been completed?" She looked at the cubs. "Have you found your guardians and sponsors?"

Beary and Jewel nodded.

Dex spoke up. "Roxi and I are Beary's guardians and sponsors for the _Trials_. I am Beary's older brother."

Faye raised an eyebrow.

Dex cleared his throat. "Well, adopted older brother, but that doesn't matter. He's my little brother."

She gave him a smile and glanced at the golden she-cub. "And you?"

Lei spoke up. "Derek and I will take over the duties of guardianship and sponsorship of Jewel."

Faye nodded and looked at Jewel. "Do you approve of this, even though they are not biologically related to you?"

Jewel nodded. "I do."

"Very well. The _First Trial_ is complete. Tomorrow, we will begin the _Second Trial_."

_.~*The Trials*~._

**The _Second Trial_:** _Caring for a child_

As soon as everyone had eaten breakfast, Faye gathered them in the living room. Beary sitting with Roxi and Dex on one couch, and Jewel with Lei and Derek on the other.

"The _Second Trial_ consists of childcare. I, as the _Iudex_, must be shown over the next fourteen days that you, the Takers of the _Trials_, know how to care for an infant. This is especially important as I see you, Jewel, are pregnant."

Jewel gave a small smile and placed her paw on her belly. Beside her, Beary squeezed her paw. He was still quite upset and nervous about the whole thing, having no idea if he'd be a good enough father or not.

Faye smirked and turned around, gesturing for a small cub of about two years of age to come out from Lei's room. Lei had gone down to the base in order to fetch a child for this task to be completed, swearing to Thrasher that it would be returned to him as soon as the fourteen days were up.

She was one of Derek's cubs, a little spectacled she-cub wearing nothing more than a potato sack and a diaper. She had slight panda markings in a light silver, and the rest of her, sans the golden T around her face, was a murky brown. She was quite the mixture.

"It's all right, little one. They will not harm you," Faye said gently, lifting the little one onto a chair. She could feel the toddler's ribs, and it angered her severely. She had asked Lei about it, and Lei had told her that Thrasher had listed the price of the cub, who was a runt, at almost $2,000. The she-panda had already convinced herself that she would buy the toddler her freedom and adopt her. She was positive her fiancé, Al, would approve.

"This is Izzy, and you will be taking care of her for the next two weeks." She smirked. "The first task feeding the child. Since this is a special case, I want you to make sure she's fed good and proper today and the rest of the days…"

_.~*The Trials*~._

The next two weeks went like a dream, rather fast.

Faye was up at the crack of dawn, smirking when she heard Izzy let out a soft wail of hunger, and then hearing Beary clamber down the stairs to make her something to eat.

Each of the thirteen tasks the cubs had completed with flying colors—with a few hilarious bloopers.

_1. __Feed child. [prove that you know how to feed it]__2. __Clean up child__3. __Bathe child__4. __Talk to your partner__5. __Play with child__6. __Put child down for a nap__7. __Try not to kill child for driving you nuts__8. __Take care of stress__9. __Get child ready for day__10. __Forage [with child]__11. __Hunt [no child]__12. __Introduce child to a stream__13. __Teach child—if old enough—to fish_

Faye looked at the list of tasks, pausing when she reached the final one.

_14. __Saying goodbye. You give up your rights to the child_

Today was the day of truth. Would Beary and Jewel be able to say goodbye? Sure, it wasn't forever, but no one else knew that. Later this day, Faye had scheduled a meeting with Thrasher in a neutral location, and that was when she was going to buy the little one, adopt her as her own.

Derek was going to accompany her.

The she-panda smiled and put away her notebook. In just a few hours, Beary and Jewel would have to say goodbye to the toddler, not knowing that Faye was going to bring her back.

Slowly, the hours trickled by, and Faye watched with a heavy heart at the duo tried their best not to cry as they attempted several times to say goodbye to the young bear they'd grown attached to. They "knew" that the child was going back to that monster, and were horrified.

Lei had locked herself in her room, beside herself with grief. Faye briefly wondered how she had managed to go through this over thirty times. It brought tears to her eyes, and she had been forced to excuse herself outside to calm down.

But, finally, Beary and Jewel whispered a goodbye and kissed the little one of the forehead, telling her that they hoped she'd grow up happy and healthy, before taking off to their room.

Faye immediately seized the wailing child and got her dressed. It was time to head down the mountain.

_.~*The Trials*~._

Faye smiled as she carried the toddler back up the mountain. The meeting with the slave owner had gone rather well, even though he had cloaked himself in long, well, cloaks with hoods. She never saw his face. He hadn't even spoken to her, only took the money and gave her an adoption certificate and a receipt, something that made her sick.

Even Derek was surprised at how well it had gone.

Izzy was curled up in her arms, purring softly. Someday, Faye hoped Izzy would call her "mom".

As they made it back up to the cabin, there was a shocked shriek as the door was flung open and Beary and Jewel stood on the porch, ready to accept the toddler into their family.

The she-panda frowned and stuck out her paw. "I'm sorry, but Izzy is not yours… I've adopted her, and she will be staying here until after the Ceremony, after which I will be returning back home in Salt Lake City."

The duo paused and whimpered before walking back into the home and sitting with their sponsors.

Once Faye had gotten the coats off and went inside, Derek joined Lei next to Jewel. Faye turned to them all, still holding Izzy, who was asleep, in her arms.

"The _Second Trial_ is complete, but now that Izzy is mine, she must learn that she's my daughter. She can no longer have contact with you. You've given up your rights to her. You may, however, play with her, but do not allow her to call you "mother" or "father" or any parental name such as that. You've passed the _Second Trial_ with flying colors, and tomorrow, Beary, begins your _Trial_."

Beary blinked. "Mine?"

"Mhm. Tomorrow you will leave for the forest in a selected area and hunt. You must return within three days with Jewel's exact weight in meat. Yes, you may include fish as well. I will be observing you, though you will not see me." She didn't tell him that she'd placed cameras in the trees in order to watch him. "If you do not return within three days with the correct weight, you will fail the _Trial_ and the _Trials_ will not commence, and I'm afraid you will never be able to take the _Trials_ with Jewel again, and will have to wait until you are of age to marry Jewel in the human way.

"Derek will lead you out to your hunting spot at four a.m. tomorrow, and then leave you there, blindfolded, for three hours while he makes his way back, brushing the path as he goes. You must hunt and find your way back. You are allowed only a hunting knife, iodine drops, a water jug, a space blanket, and matches."

The young male whimpered slightly, but nodded, agreeing to the conditions.

If only he'd knew what he was getting into.

_.~*The Trials*~._

**The Third _Trial_:**_ The hunt_

Beary knelt there in the snow, paws crossed. He was shivering and rubbed his arms, trying to get the circulation to return.

Finally, three hours had passed and he could remove his blindfold. Sighing, he did so and looked around.

Trees. Trees and snow. Joy.

He hadn't been able to hear any wildlife at all. Then again, it was winter, but spring would be coming soon! Where was the rabbits? Squirrels? Birds? Deer? Nothing.

He got up and cracked his back, stretching and trying to get feeling in his limbs back. The first thing he had to do was find the perfect tree. Something thick and sturdy and tall, but with low-ish branches. Also, he had to scout out the area, get the feel of the area. He had been told by Derek that his area was marked by spray paint on the trees in blue.

He knew he was in the middle of the area, and that it was about half an acre in size.

Quietly, he began creeping through the trees.

After about an hour, he'd found out his entire hunting area and now went about finding a tree and setting up traps. He quietly thanked Derek for his tutelage.

After setting his traps, he walked around a bit, taking note of where each trap was, and searched for base camp. There had been several nice trees, but with branches too low or too high.

It took several hours as he examined the trees before he finally settled for a tall oak with a low branch about fifteen feet above the ground. He threw a rope up, fastening it around the branch, then tying it around his backpack.

After that, he started climbing the tree, digging his claws in. Reaching the branch after about five minutes, he climbed onto it, relaxing for a few minutes. He then began pulling his bag up and hooking it to a branch beside him.

Now began the waiting game.

_.~*The Trials*~._

By the end of the first day, he'd only gotten about two snow hares, and he deboned them and packed the meat away in a cooler he'd hidden at the bottom of his tree in the snow.

He hadn't seen any deer at all, and there wasn't a river. Then again, he didn't know how to fish, so it didn't really matter.

Nevertheless, Beary was frustrated. He never thought it would be this hard! Usually when he went hunting with Derek or Dex they would have much more space and would set up shop in different locations. Doing this by himself… It was hard to cover any of the area. By the time he got to where his traps were, some of the animals escaped.

"Soon, Jewel… Soon, I'll be home with you…" he silently whispered.

Quietly, he began to settle in for the night on his tree branch. He'd start again in the morning.

_.~*The Trials*~._

Beary was getting desperate. It was already the morning of the third day, and he still had not seen one deer in his specific hunting area at all. His only hope was an elk, and it looked like his luck had run out.

He'd managed to catch a few more snow hares, but that was it. He had them in the cooler with the others. He just prayed they wouldn't spoil.

Was this the end? If he failed, he'd ruin everything…

Sighing, Beary silently shifted his head. He was high up in a tree, shivering. He wished he could have made a fire last night, but that would've spooked any creature that wandered past. He was cold, hungry, and going numb. He was also miserable. Only the thought of completing the task and the _Bond_ with Jewel kept him going.

An elk. That's all he needed, hopefully, and he'd pass the task set before him.

He felt so tired… He'd not slept at all since day one, keeping himself awake with energy drinks and candy bars. But he'd run out of food and drink, and was feeling the energy leaving him fast.

A few more minutes later, and he was fast asleep.

By the time he woke, the sun was beginning to set.

Startled, he let out a soft cry and mentally berated himself. '_No, no, no! What have I done? I'm going to fail! I might as well just let myself freeze to death out here…_'

Sighing, and knowing that he'd failed his task, he closed his eyes.

That's when he heard it. Soft steps in the snow.

Slowly, he opened his eyes, and to his surprise and delight, he spotted a young buck sniffing the snow near him. He had to move fast, otherwise the buck would smell his urine—he hadn't been able to leave the tree for a while—and thankfully it was downwind of the buck.

Brandishing his knife, he slipped off the branch the moment the buck moved close enough…

._~*The Trials*~._

Faye smiled as she watched the young bear take the deer's life, offering a little prayer up to the gods for providing him with the kill.

The camera quality wasn't very good right here, but she closed her eyes as he deboned the deer. She was grateful there wasn't sound.

The past three days had been rather boring for her. She had taken a few naps here and there, keeping the video links on record. She would have to review them once the boy got back.

She just hoped with all her heart that the meat would equal the weight of Jewel. She wouldn't be able to bear it if he failed after all that. She also hoped he made it back in time.

Behind her Jewel watched nervously. Was Beary doing all right? Would he be okay? She was scared. For the past two nights, she'd been having nightmares about him failing.

Faye glanced back at her. "Go up and rest, little one. Beary will be home soon."

Jewel nodded and went upstairs, the baby kicking her hard. She winced slightly, but got into bed, whimpering. She wanted Beary back, to sleep beside her…

_.~*The Trials*~._

The hours passed, and it was nearing midnight. Derek was waiting on the porch, hoping to spot Beary. If he didn't arrive in the next fifteen minutes, it would be too late and the _Trial_ would be over.

"C'mon, kid… where aw ya?" he muttered to himself, shining the flashlight once more across the wilderness.

Dex wandered out, shivering, and grabbed his coat before settling down on the bench with Derek. "Any sign of him?"

"Nah. Nuthin…" He was beginning to get anxious, and it was showing in his speech.

The eighteen-year-old looked around, sighing. "Where are you, Beary…? Please, hurry up, Doofus."

Time trickled by and then they saw him at the last possible minute, struggling to walk through the snow.

"Faye!" Dex cried, getting up and charging into the cabin. "Lei!"

Derek, meanwhile, rushed out to where the cub was. Since Beary was in the meadow, he was at the starting point/finish line. It was now all right for him to receive help. The panda pulled the heavy bags off of him, wincing at the weight. It had to be at least three hundred pounds! "Geez, kid…" His eyes widened. "Whoa, Beary!"

Beary fell face first in the snow, exhaustion finally taking its toll on him. He was also bleeding from the side; the deer had skewered him when they'd fought. The antler bit had broken off in his side, and he had been holding it in with a makeshift bandage. His face was cut up as well, also from the buck. Some of the cuts would definitely scar.

He just couldn't hold on any longer as he fell into darkness.

_.~*The Trials*~._

"Ugh…" he moaned, slowly opening his eyes.

"Sleeping beauty awakes," Faye chuckled before calling for the others.

Beary sat up, wincing. He was up in the loft, heavily bandaged around the middle. He looked towards the voice and found Faye sitting on the steps. "W-Where's… Jewel…?" he asked slowly.

"She's waiting for you, kiddo. Come on down and I'll tell you the results. You've been out for days." Faye went down the steps.

The brown cub blinked in surprise. Days? **_Days_**?! It couldn't have been! He hurriedly scrambled up and went down the stairs.

"YOU STOP RIGHT THERE, YOUNG MAN!" Lei roared, stalking over to him. "Don't you **_dare_** tear those sutures!"

His eyes widened and he backed away slightly.

"Sit your butt down on that chair right now and let me examine you." After Beary did so, Lei knelt in front of him and began to look him over. "Hm… you're lucky. If you'd torn them, I would have killed ya. Now, git up and git over to the living room." She looked into his eyes and started laughing. "I'm not mad at you. Go on. Faye's going to tell you if you've completed it or not."

Nervously, Beary nodded and got up, going over and sitting down at the couch.

Faye smiled and sat on one of the kitchen chairs, Izzy in her lap, cooing and drinking from a sippy cup. "Beary Taylor, I have weighed Jewel and I have weighed the meat you have gathered and offered." She took a deep breath and frowned.

Everyone leaned forward, anxious for the answer.

"Jewel weighed in at 305 pounds. What you brought in totaled at…"

He whimpered, beads of sweat running through his fur.

"450 pounds."

Silence met her words.

What? No, it couldn't be! He'd gathered that much?! Beary was in shock, as was everyone else as the news sunk in.

"F-Four hundred… fifty?" Dex gasped.

"That's… a lot of meat." Roxi's eyes were wide.

Derek frowned. They wouldn't need to go hunting for a while, provided the meat lasted. Should last about a year. He'd been surprised that he'd been able to store all the meat in the single meat freezer.

Jewel was astounded, and she let out a little shriek and jumped at Beary, hugging him tightly. "You did it! You did it!" she cried happily.

Beary was still in shock. "I… I did it…?"

She laughed and smiled, lathering him with kisses.

Faye grinned. "I, as the _Iudex_, declare the Third _Trial_ complete. Tomorrow, we shall move on with the _Fourth_ _Trial_."

_.~*The Trials*~._

**The _Fourth_ _Trial_: **_Cleansing of the Soul_

Jewel looked at the water flowing down the rock face in silence. Behind the waterfall was a curtain of plants. She, Faye, Lei, and Roxi had walked all day in order to reach this spot, the mountain stream, in order for the she-cub to purify herself for her new life with Beary as his _Bonded_ mate. She was both excited and nervous.

"There comes a time in life when the female must purify herself by washing away her past life so she may begin anew. To rid herself of the past, she is to travel to the mountain stream where the water is pure and falls over the cave entrance like a curtain." The she-panda looked directly at the golden cub. "Step forward and state your full name."

Jewel did this, hoping she didn't show any of the fear she felt. "I am Jewel Destiny Stone St. Claire O'Neal."

"Are you ready to begin the _Fourth_ _Trial_? Are you ready to give up your past so you may begin your future?" By this, Faye meant cleanse the soul of the past and any dark happenings. For Jewel to not give up things that have happened to her, she would never be able to move on with her life.

Was she? Jewel wasn't sure. It felt as if this was all happening so fast. However, she knew this was for the best. She wanted to be with Beary forever. "I am."

Roxi silently watched. As Beary's appointed guardian, she was required to be here for Jewel's _Trial_ so that there was no cheating involved—such as Derek and Lei saying that Jewel did the _Trial_ when she didn't. Lei was also there, because she was a doctor, and since Jewel was pregnant, she would be able to help should anything happen with the pregnancy. There was also the fact that Roxi was pregnant as well.

"Strip yourself of clothing and cover yourself with mud." Faye waited until Jewel had done this, and then went on. "The mud represents the filth of your past, waiting to be washed away. The darkness of the cave represents the trap you are in by clinging to your dark past. You are to enter the cave and fast for twenty-four hours. When the twenty-four hours are up, you will emerge from the cave and bathe in the stream, washing away the mud from your fur. When the mud is gone, you will be cleansed of your past." Faye directed Jewel to walk through the entrance beside the waterfall and enter the cave.

Jewel shivered slightly, but was almost perfectly insulated from the cold water by the mud. She found a small moss-covered rock island in the middle of a pool on the cave floor, and knew immediately that that was where she was to sit, meditate, and fast for the next twelve hours. Upon sitting, she winced as one of the sharper stones stabbed her right leg. She didn't cry out of anything—that was against the rules. Instead, she moved her leg, picked up the stone, and set it in the small pool that surrounded the isle.

The sound of the waterfall had been blocked out by the curtain of plants that covered the cave entrance, so it was rather odd that another source of the watery sound was heard. After letting her eyes adjust to the darkness—there were small shafts of light that filtered in through the curtain—she looked around at her surroundings. Not surprisingly, all around her were rocks. However, she didn't see where the sound of water was coming from.

'_Oh well,_' she thought to herself. '_It's just water._' Jewel closed her eyes and thought about what exactly she was doing here. Was she truly ready to give up her past, even though it was just the bad stuff? Her past, both good and bad, shaped who she was today. Was it really worth giving up? She wouldn't be able to forget the bad things anyway, so what was the point of this?

**_To purify your soul._**

The voice was so unexpected that Jewel physically jumped a few inches off the ground and looked around, trying to find the source. There was no one around, so where had it come from? '_Purify my soul? Isn't that kinda pointless? I won't be able to forget the past..._' she wondered, knowing that she wasn't allowed to talk; if she talked, the _Trial_ would be over and she would fail.

**_Yes. Your soul is not pure at the moment. You are here to wash away the filth. This does not necessarily mean that you will forget your past. After all, your soul is not your brain. Some people may say it is, but that is not the case. Your brain is physical and it stores your memories. Your soul, however, is spiritual. Your memories are imprinted on it, not stored. Everything that has happened to you is imprinted on your soul, but stored in your brain. You are not purifying your brain, just your soul, making it new for your new life._**

Jewel blinked, contemplating this. It did not make any sense. Who was this "voice", anyway? Was whomever it belonged to male or female? She could not tell. It sounded like both, but at the same time, it did not. '_Who are you?_' she mentally questioned.

**_I am the Voice._**

'_Voice of what?_'

**_The Voice._**

'_That doesn't tell me anything!_' she complained.

**_I am everything and nothing. I am everyone, yet no one. I am everywhere, yet nowhere. I exist, yet I am nonexistent._**

The cub was getting annoyed. Who was this "thing" and why wouldn't it give her any straight answers instead of confusing her?! '_Everything and nothing? Everyone but no one? Everywhere but nowhere? Exist but don't exist? What are you talking about?! Stop speaking in riddles!_'

**_This is not about me, but about you, young one. Who are you? What are you? Do you know the answers? I do._**

'_If you know so much, then why don't you tell me?_' She was going to ask about who this thing was later.

**_This journey is not for me, but for you. You must search yourself for the answers. I am not allowed to tell._**

The young bear growled. '_I am Jewel O'Neal and I'm a bear._'

**_Wrong._**

Jewel blinked, confused. How was she wrong? Jewel O'Neal was her name… and she **_was_** a bear! Obviously this "Voice" was wrong.

**_Think, young one. Who are you really? Why were you put on this Earth? Why are you here now?_**

'_I already said my name was Jewel… Shouldn't that be enough?_'

**_Search deep and far. You'll find your answers._**

She thought. She looked deep within herself like the Voice said, but… she didn't see anything different than what she had told the Voice already. She was a bear, wasn't she? She had the fur and the look… And her name was Jewel, wasn't it? It was the only name she knew… Wait. No. She had another name. Gem, the name given to her by Beary. He loved her, so did that mean that she was just an object of her love? Or was it something more? She thought about it a bit more, and then brought her thoughts to the Voice. '_I am Gem and I am loved?_' she asked, unsure.

**_You don't sound too sure of yourself._**

The Voice was right. She wasn't sure. She wasn't sure of anything anymore. Did Beary truly love her? He must, if he asked her to become his true _Bonded_ mate. Or… had he just asked her to make her feel better? To make her happy? She didn't know. Was it because she was pregnant?

Her eyes narrowed. He'd only asked her **_after_** she'd told him she couldn't go through with the abortion. That must be it! He'd only done this as a formality! An angry growl left her throat. She wasn't loved at all! He'd gotten her pregnant, and now he was trying to bind her to him for life! Well, what if she didn't want to be with him anymore? What if she took the child and ran? That would show him.

Then she paused. Beary had loved her long before this… They'd been together since last May. Their first kiss in the tree house. Dancing with her out under the stars at her parents' wedding. Giving her the necklace… She wished she knew what had happened to her necklace. Thrasher had probably taken it.

If he hadn't loved her, then why had he stuck by her side through all this? The past eight months? He'd held her in his arms throughout the month after her rape, and slept by her side. He never hated her… But there were times when she'd hated him, but they'd only been for brief instances.

A small smile graced her lips. '_I am Jewel, also known as Gem, and I **am** loved, and I love Beary!_' she thought defiantly.

**_Finally, you believe yourself. You, child, are Jewel, and you are a child of mine. I am Ursute, and it is my task to guide your way to the next task. You are ready. Go forth, my daughter, and finish the task set before you._**

Her eyes widened. Ursute? The mother of the gods? She… She was talking to her?

She jumped a foot in the air when the wall of plants shifted. "Jewel? It's time for you to come out," Faye said kindly.

Jewel started. It'd already been twenty-four hours? She searched for the Voice, but there was no more reply.

Blinking, she stepped into the morning light, passing through the waterfall and stepping into the stream. Roxi stood on the shore, smiling gently at her. Jewel shivered slightly and went to where the stream was a bit deeper, at least up to her knees, and began to wash the mud that was caked to her fur.

It took at least an hour, but finally, she'd washed the last of the mud from her body, and as she stood up again, her baby gave an angry kick, causing her to smile, placing her paws upon her stomach. This was hers and Beary's child.

She stepped out of the stream into Roxi's waiting arms. Roxi immediately laughed and wrapped a thick towel around the young cub. Lei did a quick check on her, checking her pulse, blood pressure, and the status of her cub. Verifying that all were good, she turned to Faye.

Faye smiled. "You have completed the _Fourth_ _Trial_, young Jewel, and I find you ready to continue the next task."

It took a few moments for Jewel to register what she'd said, but then she laughed and leapt at Faye, hugging her best she could. "Thank you!"

The she-panda laughed and hugged her back. "Easy, little one. Come, let's move before you catch a chill."

There was just one more _Trial_ to be completed… The Survival Test.


	28. Chapter Twenty-Seven

.~*Chapter Twenty-Seven*~.

**The _Fifth Trial_:**_ Survival Test_

Beary sighed as he walked back to his and Jewel's shelter, which was just a large blue tarp hung over a low-hanging branch. He had cleared the ground inside it of the snow and put down the poncho for Jewel to sit on. He had then given her the space blanket to use. He would sit on the cold ground and use his fur and coat to keep warm and would also curl up by her side to share body heat.

Also under the tarp was a fire, first aid kit, pocket knife, and two pounds of food and water, as well as a single pan. They also had a walkie-talkie so they could communicate with Lei should something happen.

Beary thought back to what Faye had told them.

"_You must survive two weeks in the wilderness in the harshest conditions, in this case, winter, with just the bare essentials: [one of each]_

v _Space blanket_

v _Poncho_

v _Tarp_

v _Fire Starter_

v _One pound of food_

v _One water bottle/Bottle of Iodine_

v _Whistle_

v _Compass_

v _First Aid Kit_

v _Pocket Knife_

_You must build a shelter, stay warm, hunt/cook your food, find water, and most of all: Survive._

_This _Trial_ is to simulate the toughest conditions in marriage where things may get rough. If the _Bonded_-to-be fail, then the _Trials_ are over and may never be completed against by the pair together._

_As an added thing, only because Jewel is pregnant, I will give you a walkie-talkie. Should something happen, you will have a direct line to Lei._"

Beary had just gone out to fetch some more firewood and a rabbit.

It was week two of the _Fifth Trial_, and he and Jewel had managed through the first week as best they could. There had been a blizzard, but thankfully they had had enough wood to keep the fire going. They had kept in contact with the ones they'd left behind at the cabin, letting them know that they were all right.

They had fought a couple of times, but quickly resolved it.

He had a feeling that this week would be even worse.

"Jewel? Jewel, I'm back," he said, walking into the makeshift tent.

She looked up at him and at what he had in his paws, and gave a small smile. "Hey, Beary." She slowly got up, walking over to him and gave him a quick kiss. She was shivering just slightly.

He smiled and closed the tent door, setting the firewood in the pile before going over and putting the meat from the rabbit in the pan that had been sitting on the fire all day.

"Got us some meat. Are you feeling better?" The baby had been acting up throughout the night, and Jewel, being how young and small she was, was having trouble dealing with it.

"Little one's still moving around, but for the moment has settled." She winced as the infant turned around. "Mmm. Rabbit again? Yummy." She wiggled her nose, having a sniff; her bump wobbling a bit as she waddled a little.

"It's all I could get... Tomorrow, I'll try to get a squirrel, if you want." He looked at her worriedly. "You should be laying down, Gem." He gently stroked her cheek. "I can do this..."

"I know, but laying down all the time makes me stiff, C-bear." She purred softly and nuzzled his paw. "Using the bones and stuff, boiling them make a good stock for soup or stew." She glanced over at the pan, her mouth watering at the smell of the meat cooking.

He smirked at her and held out a bag. "Well, then, here ya go." Inside the bag were the bones from the rabbit.

"Thanks." She then glanced around. "Borrow your knife a moment?" She sat down with the bag looking at the bones and then at the bag.

He passed it over to her, smiling.

She nodded in thanks and stuck her tongue between her teeth. She took out one of the bigger bones; the tiny ones weren't going to be much use except for glue—not that they needed that—and looked at it. She then looked for a suitable point to slide the knife in to split the bone.

Beary watched her curiously. She'd always done this every time he'd gotten bones. "What are you doing?"

"Getting the marrow out, its meat in a way as well." There was a sharp **_crack_**! as she split the bone in two down the length and then used the knife to scoop and slide out the red juicy marrow.

"Oh. Lei teach you that?"

"How'd you guess? Yeah she did."

He chuckled and sat down. "So... Another week, and then we can go back to our loft..."

She grinned and did the same with as many of the big bones as she could—there were only about four or so as it was a rabbit—she smiled at that. "I know, but it's kind of nice being just you and me. I mean, I know so far it's been hard here and there, but, we've never done anything like this before." She then went over to the pan and set them in as well.

"We've never been on a real date before, either," he sighed.

"Well, this may as well be one... why not?"

"Hm... I guess. But I would have liked to taken you on one before... well..." He glanced at her belly, which was getting bigger by the day.

"I know, but look at us. We're together, I'm carrying your child, and we're doing stuff together. Maybe one day we will get a chance to."

He sighed and looked down. "I... I wish you weren't..." he mumbled.

"C-bear, I know, but please don't be upset. We'll get away from that place… before..." she paused and shivered her ears went down.

"I didn't want this life for you. I... I didn't want you to become like me... a breeder. A meaningless nothing. Only good for creating cubs..."

"Beary, you're not a worthless or meaningless nothing. Please, C-bear..." she winced at that word. "It's not your fault what that sick bastard made you do."

"I've betrayed you, Jewel... Our _Bond_..."

"Wasn't your fault. You didn't have a choice." She walked over to him and snuffled, burying her nose into his slightly damp fur, nuzzling him.

He wrapped his arms around her, holding her close. "I did... I could have gotten us out... or, at least, you..." He sighed. "He gave me an offer: Stay and be his new boytoy and he would let you go free, or become a breeder and keep you by my side..." He whimpered, looking away, not letting her see his tears. "I was selfish..."

She looked up and nudged with her snout his face, whimpering at him, knowing too well by now that Thrasher would never have kept that promise, even if Beary had taken that offer.

He sighed. "This is all my fault, anyway... I've ruined your life... Thirteen and pregnant..."

She growled into his fur and sighed deeply. "Beary, please stop saying it's all your fault when it isn't!"

"It is... Me and my damn lust."

"There's nothing wrong with that! Beary, what if you'd never got to me in time? You know, when..." She shivered thinking about Mark and what he'd almost done to her all those months ago.

He whimpered and pulled her close, letting out a soft growl. "One of these days... I'll make him pay for what he'd tried to do. Trying to hurt you."

"Don't... that'll just make things worse." She nosed him rubbing her fuzzy head into his chest.

"And... and then there was when T-Thrasher..." He bit his lip. "I should have been there..."

"Yeah, b-but that wasn't your fault!"

"Might as well have been. If only I hadn't gone hunting with Derek, I... I could have taken your place."

She growled at that. "If he had done anything like he did to me to you, Beary, I would have torn his nuts off."

He flinched. "Um, Jewel... He..." He gulped and whimpered. "During the day, he'd have me, you know, breed... but at night... I... I... I was..." He broke off, trembling. "I was his bitch."

She sighed softly. "I know, which is why I hate him more than anything in the world." She looked down her ears limp as she whined.

He looked at her, shocked. How had she found out?!

"I heard what happened, remember? When what's her name came down. It was obvious what happened to you. You said that he'd drug you at times as well."

He flinched and pulled her close. "Jewel... shh... try to forget that now... It's done, now. No more, no more. Come on, dinner's ready, I think," he said, quickly changing the subject.

"Mmhm." She turned around to look at the pan, sniffing at the smell of the meat, subconsciously polishing up her mouth for it.

He laughed and went over, scooping up the biggest portion—more than 3/4 of the meat—onto a round plate they'd been given, and passed it over to her. "Eat up."

"Nuh-uh you take some more of that, Beary. That's way too much for me to eat. Go on we share halfsies."

He shook his head. "I'm... cutting back. Been eating too much. You're the one with our little one, after all." He smiled, placing a paw on her belly.

"And you are the one going hunting every day, mister. Now take some back."

"Jewel, you're more important than me. Please. I'm not hungry."

"You are as important as I am, now stop complaining. If you're not going to eat much, eat what you want and we'll, I don't know, do something with the rest."

"We can't save it, Jewel. You know that. Please, honey, eat it. Then we can sleep." He wasn't going to take "no" for an answer.

"You eat or I won't."

He scowled at her. "Don't make me feed you."

"I dare you."

He smirked and picked up a piece of meat before gently stroking her jaw, knowing she'd open her mouth. The moment she did, he popped it into her mouth and laughed. He then kissed her. "All right, Jewel. I'll eat a little more." He scraped some off of her plate into his paw and began eating.

She glared at him and picked up a piece herself and tapped his snout. "Open up, you." She smirked, her other paw reaching for a ticklish spot. May as well play a bit before she'd tuck in.

He let out a squeak and squirmed away. "No, no, no, no!"

"Come on, you, open those jaws or no dessert." She wouldn't let up.

He blinked. "Dessert?"

She used that moment to pop the piece of meat in his mouth. "Wait and see." She then started on her food wolfing it down.

He smiled and swallowed, leaning against her as he began eating his fill.

When they were both done, he turned to her. "So, what's dessert?"

"Know it's not much, but..." She got up and went over to a hidden spot and picked up a bundle of something, which when she got to the table and set down, it turned out to be soft fruits. She'd been out of the tent foraging.

Beary blinked. "Where did you get fruits?" It was only mid-March!

She didn't answer, just motioned to him to eat up keeping her mouth shut as she sucked on them.

He gave her a small smile and took one of them, sucking on the sweet juices as well. "These are delicious."

"Mhm. Went out looking for something for tonight, didn't find anything, so I came back and there they were in a bundle by the tree over there. I did wash them and check them over, by the way, there's nothing wrong with them."

"Strange... But, a delicious treat. Thank you, Jewel." He leaned forward and gave her a kiss. "Shall we save a few for tomorrow?" He yawned.

"There was only six, Beary." She returned the kiss and nosed him, purring. "I think it's time we were going to bed," she yawned and then blinked.

He smiled and pulled her over to her poncho, covering her with the space blanket. "I'll stay up and watch the fire for a bit. Go on and sleep..."

"Do...n't wannnna," she yawned.

He laughed and touched her side, running his paw down her body. "Go to sleep, Gem. Shh."

"Mmmmmm..." She shivered purring as she settled down, yawning again. She looked at him dozily. Warm and with a full belly, her eyes slowly fluttered closed as she settled down to sleep.

He smiled gently at her, kissing her cheek. He sat up and watched the fire for a few more minutes before going over and putting it out. He then crawled back over to her and curled up on the ground, wrapping his arms around her.

_.~*The Trials*~._

Jewel was grumbling and growling as she paced around the camp. "I swear, you can't do anything, Beary, at times!" She was basically trashing the place as she shoved things here and there in a stinking mood.

Beary's eyes were wide. "What are you talking about?" He'd come back to their camp after an unsuccessful hunt just minutes before, and Jewel had just started going after him.

"You know what! Can't even go on hunt right! I'm getting sick of just eating rabbit and squirrel! I reek! I haven't been able to have a proper wash since being out here!"

"It's still cold out, Jewel! If you were to wash in the stream, you'd freeze to death!"

"I don't care! I stink! My fur is greasy and I'm sleeping on a hard fugging surface every night!"

"Jewel, baby, please! Calm down! I'm sleeping on the same ground! But now that it's gotten warmer, I've given you my coats to lay on!" Sure, it meant he was cold every night, but it didn't matter as long as she was comfortable.

"I just want to go back to the loft! I hate it out here!"

"It's just another few hours, Jewel, before they come get us!"

"Why can't we go back now! I've had enough of being out here!"

"Because if we go now we'll fail the _Trial_!"

"To hell with the damn _Trial_!" She went into the bed area and grabbed her poncho.

He grabbed her paw. "Jewel, please! Just a few more hours! Then we can be done with the _Trials_! We can do the _Bonding_ _Ceremony_!"

She turned around and looked at him, her face wrecked, she was emotional, tired, and fed up.

"Please, Jewel... We've gone through all the _Trials_ for this... For..." He broke off, placing his paw on her belly to finish his answer. "Because we love each other..." He searched her eyes. "Right?"

Tears rolled down her cheeks as she just broke down bursting into tears.

He gathered her up in his arms, sitting down and pulling her into his lap. He gently cradled her, rocking her side to side. "Shh... Jewel, I love you, and I love our child. I know we're young, but... this is our life now. But, if you no longer want this, I'll understand. I'll allow you to go back to the cabin before the time is up. I don't mind. I will always love you, even if I won't be able to marry you until we are eighteen. You will always be Jewel Taylor to me." He kissed her forehead.

She sobbed and looked up at him. "I never want to be with anyone but you, I want this... but it's just so hard. I don't want to be Jewel Taylor, Beary." She nuzzled him, still sniffling.

He flinched and looked at her, shocked. She... She didn't want to take his last name? She didn't want to be his? "O-Oh... I... I understand... Um... okay..." He gently lifted her up and off him before getting up. "I... I'll be back..." And he walked out, quickly disappearing in the snow. He was going to end the _Trial_. She wasn't ready to take his name, if she ever wanted to. It was time to end the charade.

"Beary? Beary?!" She scrambled up. What the hell had she said? She took off after him. "Beary! Wait! Please!" She looked through the snow calling and crying for him desperately.

She'd never meant to say that! What had she done!?

He could hear her cries, but knew it was useless. He had to end this.

Quietly he walked through the trees, knowing that Jewel would eventually find his tracks.

"Beary! Please! Come back! I'm sorry! Please, come back!" She stumbled, her belly causing problems, following his footsteps. She let out a scream as she tripped over hidden roots, flailing and grabbed hold of a tree sobbing in fright. "Beary!"

His ears flicked back. Wait. Why has she screamed? Whimpering, he turned around. Was she hurt? Or was she just doing it to make him come back?

He sighed, then blinked. Wait. What if the baby was coming? Quickly, he began running back towards where he'd left her. "Jewel? JEWEL!"

She looked up and around, now freaked from the fall. Whimpering, calling for him, she looked scared; she sunk to the ground, whimpering, and her head in her arms. Her whole body was shaking.

Jewel soon came into view, and Beary paused. How could he have left her like that? "Jewel?" he whispered, walking over. "Are you okay? I... I was leaving... to end the _Trial_. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have put you through this."

"Please, don't leave me... please... please..." She was whimpering, looking up at him tearfully and shaking. "Please, don't ever leave me, Beary... please."

He knelt down, touching her cheek. "Never... I'm only going to free you, Jewel. I'm going to end the _Trial_. I won't put you through this any longer."

"No! Please, I don't want you to! Please! I don't want you to free me from this! Please! I'm sorry I said that! I wasn't thinking right! Please!" She was getting even more distressed the fact he said that.

"Whoa, whoa!" He put his paws on either side of her face and looked into her eyes. "Easy. Calm down, please! Shh, honey... Shh... I'm sorry. I won't leave you, I promise... We'll complete the _Trial_ after all. We'll get married... And... Will... Will you become Jewel Taylor?"

"I want to be more than just Jewel Taylor, Beary. I want to be yours in every way I can be! I love you so much!" She looked up into his hazel eyes and nodded and nuzzled him.

He smiled gently and kissed her nose. "Jewel, you already are. You are my everything, Gem."

She kissed him back and using him, got herself back up onto her feet, stumbling a moment. "And you are mine, C-bear , my lil bear." She put her arms around him and cuddled him, breathing in his scent, nosing and nuzzling him.

He smiled and held her close, kissing her forehead. "I love you, Jewel."

"And I love you."

"Congratulations, you two. You've just completed the _Fifth Trial_."

Beary jumped a foot in the air. Where had they come from? He turned and looked back at Lei, Derek, Faye, Dex, and Roxi.

Jewel let out a cry and glanced around before spotting them, breathing heavily and looking at them in shock.

They laughed and approached them. "Come on, you two. Let's go home. We have a wedding to plan," Lei smiled.

Faye held up her paw. "First, the completion." She stepped forward and stood in front of the cubs. "As of this moment, Beary Henry Taylor and Jewel Destiny O'Neal have completed the _Fifth_ and final _Trial_. They are now allowed to complete the _Bond_ in a _Ceremony_ to be done next week, giving them time to gather themselves together and prepare."

Beary looked at Jewel and smiled, squeezing her paw.

_.~*The Country Bears*~._

Over the next week, Lei was hard at work finding something for them all to wear. For Jewel, she had found an elegant white cloth that she was sewing into a beautiful, yet simple, gown. For Roxi, she had managed to find a light blue gown from when she was younger and thinner.

For Dex and Beary, Derek had raided his own closet and managed to find a few things as well. A couple of vests, shirts, and pants.

Roxi and Dex had asked Faye if she would marry them on the same day as Beary and Jewel. Faye had agreed, and thankfully had had a normal _Ceremony_ book.

The week had passed by so fast, and finally it was the big day.

Beary wore a simple black vest, no shirt, and a blue tie. He also wore black dress pants. His hazel eyes danced and sparkled with delight at the thought of completing the _Bond_ with Jewel. However, he was scared out of his mind at the same time. Were they really ready for this? Their lives were never going to be the same after they said the _Oath_. There was no going back.

'_Stop it,_' he growled to himself. '_You have to complete the Bond. You don't want the baby to be a bastard, do you? Didn't think so. You have no other choice._' He sighed softly and waited beneath the weeping willow, watching as the wind gently made waves in the long leaves. The leaf curtain was pulled back slightly, a small string clumping several of the leaves together in order to form a sort of entrance to the tree's humble shelter.

Standing by the altar—which was really the wooden table from the cabin—was Faye, dressed in a long white robe with a light blue stole. She held a small, ancient book in her paws. Set upon the altar was two silver chalices, a wine bottle, a red ribbon, a candle, and two silver rings.

Derek stood beside the young male, dressed in a vest and dress pants, a small smile gracing his lips. He ran his finger over the silver ring around his left ring finger. It had been so long since he had been able to wear it—they had hidden their rings when Thrasher came into power, because he tended to steal things that didn't belong to him and keep them in a "treasure chest." He knew that Lei was wearing hers as well, considering it was a special day. Speaking of his beloved, he couldn't wait to see her in her light green dress with her silver hair all done up nice and pretty.

Little Izzy smiled and played in the tree, dressed in a pair of shorts and a shirt. She was enjoying being free, and didn't want to sit still one bit. Faye didn't mind, however, enjoying watching her daughter run around. At least she had been able to rescue one of her brother's cubs.

Dex smiled and held his new bride close to him, kissing her cheek. They had been married just minutes before with Derek and Beary as witnesses since Lei was getting Jewel ready. He couldn't believe it. Here he was, eighteen-years-old, married, and with a baby on the way. "I love you, Roxi."

Roxi, wearing a long, slightly baggy, blue dress with no fancy trimmings that didn't have a waist line so her belly didn't stick out so much, placed a hand on her belly and smiled at him. "I love you, too, my Smexy Dexy. Roxanne Barrington… I like the sound of that…"

He laughed and kissed her forehead as he looked over at his younger brother from where he was sitting. "He and Jewel are so young… I… I can't believe it… Going to be married and soon they're going to have a baby of their own…"

"I know, Dexter, I know. But I do know that this was the way things were meant to happen. If it wasn't, then why didn't their gods put a stop to it? They were meant to be together. Nothing will ever change that. Yes, they're young, but this way… they'll be together forever." Even though Roxanne was a human, she knew about the culture bears followed and about their gods. She didn't mind it in the least bit.

He sighed and looked at Beary again. "Hey, you're going to be fine, Doofus. Just chill."

Beary looked at him and blinked before sticking his tongue out at him.

_.~*~._

Down the hill, Lei looked at the pregnant teenager and smiled. "You look lovely, Jewel."

"I look fat," the mother-to-be complained.

"You do not!"

Jewel wore a single-strap white gown, with blue-green lining, which dragged across the soft green grass still moist from morning dew. Her large belly was just barely seen under the loose material, though it did leave the front of the gown hanging. Three thin silver chains dangled from each ear, and from these hung a blue diamond, one for each chain. Her hair was styled in an updo, with intricate curls held in place by many pins; wildflowers were woven throughout the curls.

Atop her head was a beautiful diamond and sapphire tiara. A line of diamonds formed the bottom, and the rest were formed into a fancy design, centering around the main gem cut into the form of half a star. Diamonds surrounded it, setting off the clear diamond glory. Her forest green eyes twinkled, but there was a hint of worry hidden deep within them. "I do too…"

The silver she-bear, wearing a long, light green dress, with her long, silver and black hair done up in a French braid, frowned. "Now, Jewel… Don't tear yourself down, especially today. You're completing the _Bond_, honey. That's something to be cheerful about."

"I guess…"

Lei stopped, causing the teenager to stop as well. "What's wrong?"

"I…I don't know if I can do this. I… I don't think I'm ready," Jewel whispered.

The sixty-one-year-old's eyes softened. "I know you don't think you are. I felt the same way when Derek and I got married. Every girl has the jitters on their _Bonding_ day. Well, wedding day. Have you talked to Beary about this?"

Jewel looked away.

"I see… Well, all I can tell you is to do what you think is right. I'm positive that Beary will wait for you." She gently squeezed the golden female's shoulder. "Now, come on. I believe someone is waiting for you…"

The thirteen-year-old slowly continued her trek up the hill to where Beary was waiting for her. With each step, her worry mounted. What if something went wrong? What if they weren't ready? What if down the road something happened and they didn't love each other anymore? Did they really love each other now? Were they only doing this because she was pregnant? If she wasn't, would they still be getting married? Or was it just a false love? A temporary love…

As they reached the top of the hill, Jewel was so wrapped up in her worrying thoughts that she didn't hear Beary's voice. It wasn't until he touched her shoulder that she noticed where she was. As soon as her eyes lay upon the altar, her mind went into panic mode. "I can't do this. I can't do this!" she cried, waddling away as fast as she could, desperate to get away from the weeping willow.

"Jewel!" Beary cried, immediately giving chase. "Jewel, stop!" He caught up to her fairly quick and pulled her into his arms. "Jewel… Gem, talk to me," he whispered.

Jewel struggled in his arms for about fifteen seconds, then gave up and burst into tears. "I can't do this!"

Beary lowered her to the ground, allowing her to sit on his lap to as not stain her white dress. He rocked her back and forth as she bawled in his arms. "Shh… It's okay…" he said softly, gently rubbing her back. He placed his other paw on her belly, feeling the infant within the womb kick. "Talk to me, Jewel…"

It took her a few minutes to calm down enough to speak. "I… I'm sc-scared…" That single statement allowed her to relay all her feelings on the matter, her fears, dreams… **_Everything_**. And Beary listened attentively, a few tears rolling down his cheeks.

"I'm scared too," he said quietly. "I'm scared of not being able to protect you… or our cub. Hell, I'm petrified. I've failed once… who says I won't again?" He lifted her snout so that she was staring straight into his hazel eyes. "But I vow to shelter, defend, and protect you from this moment on. I will always be there, no matter what. I am yours and you are mine, Jewel. Together forever."

Jewel wanted to believe him, wanted to believe every single word he said, but she knew that things tended to happen, and promises sometimes didn't mean anything.

Beary noticed the worry in her eyes. "Hey, I've never broken a promise to you, have I? Well, when I can help it?"

She had to shake her head. No, he hadn't broken a promise to her that she could remember.

He kissed her forehead, letting his lips linger for a few extra seconds. "I love you, Jewel," he murmured, his lips still against the thin fur on her forehead. "Nothing will ever change that. This is our new life… Together and no one can tear us apart."

The young mother-to-be shifted slightly and rested her head atop his shoulder. "I love you, too…"

They sat in silence for a few minutes, watching as the sun began to set.

Finally, Beary spoke up again. "Are you ready?"

A small nod was his answer.

**.~ ~.**

**[Beary, **_Jewel_, Both**]**

"**That on this day**

**May our truths be told**

**From now until forever**

_To cherish one another_

_From flesh until dust_

_Forsaking all others_

To become one heart

In sickness and in health

**For richer**

_For poorer_

I will become your _Bonded_

I pledge to you

**_My heart_**

_My life _

My soul"

Beary and Jewel stood before the altar, their paws clasped in front of them, as they recited the Oath. Their eyes never left each other's.

They paused, turned, and picked up the silver rings. Reciting the next part of the _Oath_, they placed the rings on each other's ring finger.

_"_With this object

The symbol of our _Bond_

Is seen_"_

Meanwhile, Faye placed a little wine in each chalice, and then handed them to the two. As soon as Beary and Jewel had the cups held in their paws, she spoke. "As with these chalices, you are separate." She then wrapped the red ribbon around the silver cups and tied it in a knot. "With the tying of this knot, you are one. Once you drink the wine, you will be _Bonded_ for life."

The cubs looked at each other nervously for a moment before lifting the chalices to their lips and slowly drinking the wine. Both nearly spit out the foul liquid, not expecting the bitter taste, but they managed to swallow it down. Together as one, they recited the final part of the _Oath_.

"Now we two

Are one

**One life**

_One heart_

**One love**

_One soul_

The _Bond_

Is now complete

I am yours

And you are mine

Our hearts will beat together

Forevermore"

As soon as they finished, the silver chalices and ribbon was pulled away and set back on the altar. They clasped each other's paws once more and stared into the other's eyes. Neither spoke as the sun disappeared behind the mountains.

"The _Ceremony_ is complete. Two have become one for eternity, in the spiritual sense and the physical sense. Nothing can divide you apart in this life or the next." Faye smiled as she leaned over and blew out the candle. Her eyes twinkled as the _Bonded_ kissed each other deeply. She turned and picked up her briefcase from beside the altar. "Now, I need both of you to sign these papers to make it official."

Dex started laughing. "Nothing like paperwork to kill the mood."

Roxi smacked him upside the head.

Both newlyweds looked at her, grinning broadly, once they finished their kiss. A few minutes later, the papers were signed and placed back in the briefcase. As soon as that was done, Lei and Derek finally spoke.

"Congratulations," Lei whispered, pulling the pair of them into her arms. "Mr. and Mrs. Beary Taylor."

Derek chuckled and put his video camera—that he borrowed from his younger sister to record the _Ceremony_ as proof it was done—away. "It 'as a nice 'ing to it," he grinned.

Beary and Jewel gave a small laugh and smiled at the two adults, their guardians and protectors.

Dex and Roxi took turns giving the pair of them hugs and welcoming Jewel to the family and telling Beary to not be a Doofus.

Faye pulled her digital camera out of the briefcase and grinned. "Group photo. You know, for the memory."

The newlyweds stood in front of the two older bears, holding paws; Derek placed a paw on Beary's shoulder while Lei did the same with Jewel—their free paws were clasped behind the youngens' backs. Dex and Roxi pushed the adults over slightly and took their places behind Beary while Lei and Derek stood behind Jewel, keeping their paws on each of the cub's shoulders. Izzy hung down from a low branch. All seven smiled brightly as the flash went off.

"I'll get the prints to you as soon as I can," the she-panda said. "However, it is time for me to be heading back down."

"Sure you won't stay for cake?" Jewel asked, a bit upset.

"It's too dangerous to go down the mountain by yourself at night," Lei warned. "You can stay with us for the night."

"Hm… I supposed you're right. Let's get this cleaned up, then we can head on back to the cabin, shall we?" Faye asked.

Everyone pitched in with the cleanup, carefully wrapping up the items and placing them in the backpack the she-panda had brought. Derek and Beary led the way down the hill, carrying the altar/table. The three females followed, Faye and Lei helping Jewel keep her balance on the downward trek. Roxi and Dex trailed behind them, holding little Izzy as she fell asleep in their arms.

As soon as they reached the cabin and got everything fixed up, Jewel and Roxi sat on one of the couches—Jewel purposefully avoided the one that she had been raped upon—waiting as the dinner was brought out. Beary and Dex helped the adults with getting the food out and on the counter. There were mashed potatoes, gravy, and something with elk meat in it. The drinks consisted of honey, milk, and juice, all brought courtesy of Faye. However, the highlight of the meal would have to be the two-layered strawberry cake with white butter cream and red frosting flowers.

They ate their meal, laughing and sharing a couple happy stories, the adults getting drunk on the honey while Dex and Roxi chuckled, watching them. The two pairs of newlyweds cut the cake and served it to their much older friends. When they finished handing out the dessert, Beary and Jewel walked outside and sat upon the grass, eating their pieces. They didn't talk as they silently finished their cake, sharing a couple crumbs with each other and laughing; once done, the plates were placed on the ground beside them.

They stood, Beary holding Jewel in his arms as he slowly danced with her out under the stars, using the moon as their source of light. Dancing was a little difficult with her large belly keeping them apart, but they finally figured it out as Beary held his wife from behind. Jewel had her head turned so her face was flat against his chest, the top of her head pressed up against his chin. Beary's arms were around her waist, his paws resting on her belly with Jewel's paws atop his.

"Everything's changed, hasn't it?" Jewel asked softly.

Beary thought for a moment, choosing his answer carefully. "For the better, I think. Nothing can tear us apart now…"

"But… what if-"

"Shh… No more "what if"… All it does is make you worry about what might be. Whatever happens will happen. There's nothing we can do to change it. Yes, we control our own fates, but there are some things that cannot be controlled." He sighed. "No more "what if"… At least for tonight. Tonight is just you and me, Gem…" He softly sighed and began to hum a melody before singing. It was a song he had heard long ago on the radio, but now he added some of his own words.

_Jewel, you are to me,  
all that a woman should be  
And I dedicate my life to you always_

Jewel picked up the song, also adding her own lyrics.

_The love like yours is grand  
It must have been sent from up above  
And I know you'll stay this way, for always_

They both thought as one as their voices joined and they sung the same lyrics in perfect harmony.

_And we both know, that our love will grow  
And forever it will be you and me, hey  
Ooh, your life is sun chasing all the rain away  
When you come around you bring brighter days  
You're the perfect one for me and you forever we'll be  
And I will love you so for always_

Beary picked up the tune.

_Come with me my sweet  
Let's raise our family  
And they will bring us joy, for always_

Jewel went on.

_Oh boy, I love your soul  
I can't find enough ways to let you know  
But you can be sure of course, for always_

They once again fell into harmony.

_And we both know, that our love will grow  
And forever it will be you and me, hey  
Ooh, your life is sun chasing all the rain away  
When you come around you bring brighter day  
You're the perfect one for me and you forever we'll be  
And I will love you so for always_

_Hey, ooh you're like the sun chasing all of the rain away  
When you come around you bring brighter days  
You're the perfect one for me and you forever we'll be  
And I will love you so for always  
Ooh, I will love you so for always, ooh_

They fell into silence once more, listening to the loud laughter from inside the cabin. They silently hummed the tune as they danced out among the stars.

For the first time in a long time, everything felt right. Everything felt safe and secure.

Nothing could ruin this moment for them…

Of course, if they only knew what Thrasher was plotting down at the base, they would think otherwise.

He was coming for them in just a few days. The cubs had been born at the base, and it was time for Beary to come back and start breeding again.

Soon, very soon.


	29. Epilogue

.~*Epilogue*~.

_April 18th, 2005_

Beary found himself running for his life as he moved swiftly through the trees that he had become so familiar with over the past six months. He could not stop, not by a long shot. Jewel was depending on him to lead the guards away from her and the baby. As for Dex and Roxi… well, he'd rather not think of how stupid they thought he was.

Tears streaked his cheeks as he realized that he was never going to meet his baby or see Jewel, Dex, Roxi… or any of his family again.

He could hear the angry growls and snarls of Thrasher's guards over the pounding of blood in his ears. When they finally caught him, he would be doomed.

Beary thought back to how their night began…

**FLASHBACK**

_Beary's paw rested on Jewel's large belly, his snout buried in her neck, as he held her in a spooning position. Neither wore a shirt, voting for the feeling of each others' fur mingling together; that, and the fact that the loft could get pretty warm around this time of the year._

_Their left paws were gently clasped; the rings glinting in the little light from the skylight._

_He could hear Jewel's soft snores as she slept in his arms, and feel the light kicks of their soon-to-be-born cub from inside his/her mother's belly. A small smile crept across his face at the thought of the little cub running around the cabin, the sound of little feet gallivanting across the wooden floor, and the echo of a child's laughter filling the room._

_The twelve-year-old couldn't remember what life had been like before he and Jewel had been kidnapped and forced into the breeding program. He couldn't remember the faces of his family, nor if he even had one. The greatest memory he had was from only a few months ago, when he and Jewel had truly completed the _Bond_. Jewel had taken his surname, Taylor, and was now Jewel Taylor, his _Bonded_._

_That's all that mattered to him, that Jewel was his and he was hers. Together forever._

_However, now all he could think about what how he was going to provide for Jewel and their child, and how he was going to keep both of them away from Thrasher. Nothing else in his life mattered. There was just him, Jewel, and their child. Well, that's not entirely true. There was his brother, his wife, and Beary's soon-to-be-born niece or nephew._

_Jewel yawned and shifted in his arms, lying on her back, so she could look at him with sleepy eyes. "Why are you still up?" she questioned._

_Beary grinned and kissed her cheek. "I was watching you sleep."_

_"Liar."_

_He sighed. "I was thinking…"_

_"That's dangerous…"_

_"Oh, very funny, Gem."_

_"I try," she smirked, nuzzling him. "You know… I was thinking about naming the baby Beary, after his daddy… Or Astrid if it's a girl."_

_"Nuh-uh. We're not naming the baby after me. No way. How about Erik? Erik Tennessee Taylor if it's a boy, or… Actually, I like Astrid for a girl's name."_

_"Erik? That's so common, though! Beary's a unique name!"_

_"It's a stupid name."_

_"You're not stupid!"_

_He didn't reply._

_Jewel sighed and nuzzled him again._

_A small purr left Beary's throat as her teeth found his ear and she began to nibble. "Mmm… Jewel…" Ever since she'd gotten pregnant, her hormones had been on a rampage._

_She pulled playfully on his ear, daring him to do something. A small growl left her throat. _

_Beary grinned and pulled his ear out of her grip. "Stop that," he chuckled, pulling away. _

_She sighed and shook her head. "Oh, fine. I suppose we should go back to sleep… unless there's something on your mind?"_

_He frowned and nodded. _

_"What is it? You can talk to me, C-Bear."_

_"It's just… How are we going to get out of here? I don't want our cub being raised here… I want to get out."_

_"I know. I do, too. But how? There's guards everywhere!"_

_"Well, I don't know. Somehow we have to go."_

_"I know you're worried about me, Beary. I'll be fine staying here, just as long as I get to sleep in your arms." She gently nuzzled him._

_"I don't want you to stay here. Last time… he… he raped you. I can't let that happen again."_

_"And it won't. I'm a bit stronger than I was before, C-Bear. You're not the only one whose been working on fighting. Dex, Roxi, and I have all been practicing. And you hunting with Derek has helped you get stronger. Look at how much better you can walk now! I know you've tried to hide it, but I know you limp. But you're doing so much better! Plus, you're nice and ripped for me."_

_He bit his lip nervously._

_Sighing, she kissed his nose. "Kiss me, Beary. Kiss me and remember happiness," she whispered._

_Beary did as she asked, warmth spreading through him as she returned the kiss. He brought his teeth to her neck, both sucking and nibbling on her fur. He grinned when she attempted to pull away at the tickling sensation. His lips moved from her neck, up her cheek, and down her snout as he finally settled upon her lips._

_Jewel moaned softly and pulled him closer as she deepened the kiss. _

_"Enough of that. There isn't time!"_

_Both lovers turned, shocked and embarrassed. _

_Beary quickly scrambled away from Jewel and covered her with a blanket. "Alkalei, w-what are you doing up here?" His skin was crimson under his fur._

_"Get dressed. We have to go," the silver she-bear growled. _

_Beary looked at his mate, then at Lei, and then back at Jewel. "Um… okay…"_

_Lei quickly left the loft._

_Jewel groaned, unhappy at the turn of events. She just wanted to have some fun with her mate…_

_Beary helped his wife get up and dressed, and then went to the dresser to grab them some shirts._

_When they finally finished dressing, Beary helped Jewel down the stairs—Jewel complaining every step of the way, not liking being up and about; she had been bedridden the past week due to the dizzy spells she got while standing. Not only that, but she had been really short of breath as of late, which was freaking Beary out. Lei had said it was because she was so young to be pregnant._

_As soon as they got down the stairs, Jewel rushed into the bathroom, suddenly having to relieve herself. Beary, meanwhile, went over towards the two adults._

_"What's going on?" he questioned, glancing over at his brother and sister-in-law. _

_"That's what I want to know," Dex grumbled, unhappy at being awake so early._

_Derek looked at him for a moment before sighing. "T'ashah's on 'is way. He's gonna take us all back to da base."_

_Beary's eyes widened to infinite proportions. _

_"We're going to make a run for it, and get you four to safety," Lei went on, placing some items that Beary couldn't see into a backpack. She looked over at Dex who was trying to get his very pregnant wife up. "Hurry up! We only have a limited amount of time! Derek ran here all the way from the base when he found out!"_

_Dex glared at her. "We should have left sooner!"_

_"No! If you had, he would have known and hunted you down! At least this way, you can escape while they peruse you. It will be chaos, and by the time they figure out what's going on, you'll be down the mountain! Now get a move on!"_

**END FLASHBACK**

Beary found himself at the weeping willow where he and Jewel completed the _Bond_ and where Dex and Roxi got married. He knew he couldn't run any further, his heart pounding against his chest. He was beginning to get dizzy, one of the signs of an oncoming seizure.

He fell to his knees, knowing that the guards were hot on his trail with their mangy Rottweilers. Normally he loved dogs, but these ones were not like the others in their breed. They were trained to kill.

Staring up into the tree, he strangely found himself at peace. He could feel Jewel's love surrounding him, as well as someone else's that he didn't recognize.

**FLASHBACK**

_Derek and Alakalei had taken the humans and cubs as far as they could before having them go off on their own while the adults stayed behind to try and distract the guards and their dogs._

_Dex, Roxi, Beary, and Jewel did not move as fast as they could — Jewel couldn't run, nor could Roxi— through the dark forest, barely able to see. None knew how long they had been walking, or how far they had gone._

_In the distance, they could hear the snarls of the angry canines chasing them._

_"W-We're not gonna make it," Jewel whimpered, knowing that she was slowing them both down._

_"Oh, yes we will!" Beary growled, determined to get her to safety. He tried his best not to wince at the pain in his leg from moving so much._

_Next to them, Roxi and Dex were almost having the same conversation._

_"I'm slowing us both down, and you and I know it!" Jewel went on._

_He growled again and stopped moving. He then proceeded to pick her up, cradling her in his arms, and starting moving, this time much faster. Sure, the heavy weight was tiring, but he was used to carrying heavy loads ever since he started hunting—not that he was saying Jewel was heavy…_

_Jewel's arms wrapped around his neck as she held on to him. The infant in her womb kicked angrily, not liking the position his or her mother was in. "Beary… Put me down and leave me behind…"_

_"Never."_

_"Damn it, Beary! Stop being so stubborn! Just let them take me and you can get away!"_

_"I said _**never**_, Jewel! I mean it! I'm not letting them take you!" _

_"They'll take us all if I don't stay behind!"_

_Dex looked at Jewel and growled. "Knock it off. No one is being left behind!" He picked up Roxi and began running, getting much further down the mountain than the cubs._

_"I said no, Jewel." He did slow down, however, knowing that what she said was true. There was no other choice. He let her stand and stared into her tear-filled eyes, holding her face with his paws. "Jewel, I love you. You know that, right?"_

_"Of course I do," she whispered back._

_"Do you trust me?"_

_"With my li—" Her eyes widened as Beary drew her into a deep kiss. She felt him place something small in her paw, which he then forced to close around the object._

_Releasing her from the kiss, he whispered, "I'll find you again. I promise! Now go!" With that, he turned and started running in the direction they had just come from._

_"BEARY!" she screamed, trying to give chase, but to no avail. He didn't turn around or come back._

_Dex and Roxi stopped and turned. Dex set his wife down and rushed to Jewel's side, spitting out all sorts of profanities aimed at Beary and his stupidity. "Beary, come back!" he called. He wanted to race after him—he really did—but he couldn't. It was too late. The guards were getting too close and he had two pregnant females to take care of. After he made sure they were okay, he would go back._

_"GO!" Beary shouted over his shoulder. "I PROMISE I'LL FIND YOU!" And he was gone._

_Jewel stood still long enough to watch as the guards began chasing after her beloved. "Beary…" she whimpered. She looked down at the object he had given her and collapsed to her knees._

_He had given her his wedding ring._

**END FLASHBACK**

"Gotcha now, ya little bitch."

Beary didn't turn to look at the guards that were going to take him back to the hellhole. He didn't cry or make a sound as he was tackled to the ground and handcuffed. The dogs snarled and leapt at him, taking light bites of his skin, and then jumping at his face as he was led away.

It was all worth it, as long as Jewel and their child were safe.

_.~*The Country Bears*~._

Jewel moved as fast as she could. It had taken her almost five minutes to recover from Beary's abandonment, and in that time, she had watched as her love ran away from her, leading the enemy away. How much time had passed since then, she hadn't a clue.

She knew why he had done it, but she didn't have to like it. Tears streaked her face as she waddled down the dirt path, hoping she was going the correct way. '_Why…? Why do you have to be so damn stubborn?! I can't raise this child by myself!_'

Dex had one arm around her waist, his other around his wife's, urging them onward. Tears threatened to fall down his cheeks, but he managed to keep them at bay. Now was not the time to cry. He glanced over his shoulder nervously, expecting to see someone chasing them, but found no one. Nonetheless, he didn't slow their pace. They had to hurry and get to the city. It was their only chance.

Daylight began to creep over the tree tops, surprising him. Just how long had they been running? Was this long night finally coming to an end?

Jewel looked around. To her surprise, the trees began to thin out, and she could see the outskirts of buildings. They'd made it to the city. Suddenly, she became nervous. She was just wearing shorts and a t-shirt she had borrowed from Beary; not to mention she was pregnant. How were people going to treat her? She looked up at Dex for a moment as he finally allowed them to slow.

It had been a long time since Jewel had been in a city, so she didn't know what to expect as dirt turned into the black pavement that made up a small street. The street lights were still on, and homes dark, signaling that the occupants were still asleep. She trembled as she continued walking, her t-shirt doing little to ward of the chill in the morning atmosphere.

Her stomach grumbled angrily, and the baby kicked, causing her to wince. "Easy, baby," she whispered, her efforts slowing. She had to keep going.

Dex looked down at her as they finally came to a halt a few blocks away from the mountain and had Roxi sit on a bench. He was about to have Jewel do the same when he heard a voice.

"Jewel?"

The she-cub froze and slowly turned her head towards the left. Standing behind a white picket fence was the black and white she-panda, Faye Tality. "F-Faye…" Relief filled her as she realized she was safe. "T-Take us… Take us to the p-police s-s-s-tation…" With that, she collapsed upon the pavement, exhaustion and hunger sapping all her energy. Beary's ring fell out of her paw and rolled towards the sewer drain.

"Jewel!" Faye moved quickly and grabbed the ring before it was lost. She placed it into the pocket of her robe and pulled out her cell phone, calling 911.

.~*~.

_Beep… Beep… Beep…_

"Mmm… Beary, turn off that stupid alarm clock…" Jewel moaned, not wanting to wake from her dream.

"Jewel? Jewel, can you hear me, kiddo?"

She moaned again and opened her eyes slowly, blinking. The first face she saw was that of her lover's, and she immediately drew him in for a kiss. Right away, she knew something was wrong.

The kissee gasped and pulled away. "Hey!"

Jewel's eyes widened when she realized that this wasn't Beary she had kissed… but a female copy of him. Not only that, but she was using a cane and had a wheelchair behind her. "Holy shit." She immediately gagged and brushed her lips off on the back of her paw. "What the hell?! Who the fug are you?!"

"She's got quite a mouth for a young lady," someone on the other side of the room snickered.

"Oh, hush up, Kassie," the she-bear growled, also wiping her mouth off on the back of her paw. "Yik. Not what I expected at all."

Jewel turned her head and looked at the other bear. He was tall, dark brown, and skinny. A growl left her throat as she realized she was surrounded by strangers. She struggled to get up, only to let out a gasp when she was kicked angrily from within.

"Easy, kiddo. You're okay. We're friends," the dark brown bear said, a weak attempt at trying to sooth her. "I am Special Agent Kaspian Hathworth. The bear you just… uh… kissed, is my sister, Special Agent Kenya Hathworth. We've been looking for you for a long time."

The golden bear watched the strangers warily, letting out a warning growl when they came too close. She didn't trust them one bit. For all she knew, they were Thrasher's henchmen coming to take her back to the base.

Kenya looked at her brother sadly, knowing that the she-cub would probably never trust them.

"Why do you look like Beary?" Jewel questioned, glaring at the she-bear.

"Well… I'm his cousin."

"Surrreee…"

"I am…" Kenya wondered how she was going to get the young female to trust her; things didn't look too good. She looked at her brother, not sure what to do.

Kaspian pulled out his badge and handed it to the bedridden cub. "Here."

Kenya did the same.

Jewel took the wallet-like objects and studied them. Slowly, her agitation began to dissipate, but she still didn't trust them. "Where are Dex and Roxi?"

"They were taken to a secure location far away," Kaspian answered.

The FBI agents took their badges back and glanced at each other for a moment, planning their attack.

"Jewel," Kaspian began, "we're here to take you home."

She gave them a blank look. "H-Home…?"

"Yeah… Back with your family…"

"Beary?"

Kenya frowned. She had no idea how much Jewel knew about the cub's fate. "Uh, Jewel…"

"Where's Beary?!"

The she-bear put a paw on Jewel's shoulder. "Honey, he didn't make it…"

The words didn't seem to register in her mind. Once again, she asked where Beary was. When she didn't get an answer, she kept asking.

Kaspian didn't know what to tell the young female. He hadn't much training in talking to kids. "Um… Ms. O'Neal-" he was cut off by an angry growl.

"Taylor."

"Huh?"

"I'm Mrs. Beary Taylor," Jewel growled, placing a paw on her belly. "Just ask Faye." With that, she shut down, refusing to speak or look at anyone. She just wanted to go back to Beary, Derek, and Lei.

.~*~.

"Come on, Roxanne, push!"

Roxi, coated in sweat, spat out a few curses aimed at her husband as she broke his fingers and a bone in his hand as another contraction hit. She let out a scream as she pushed hard.

Dex tried his best not to pull away, though he knew he probably would never regain the use of his hand. Why was labor so painful? "Roxanne, just push… It'll be over soon…" They had just gotten down the mountain and met Faye when Roxi had gone into labor. Thankfully, she had gotten to the hospital in time. Sadly, they had been separated from Jewel, who was being checked over to make sure she wasn't going into labor. Last he heard, she still hadn't, which had perplexed the doctors.

"Nuh-uh. Hell is just beginning for you, Dexter Barrington!" she snarled.

"The baby's crowning! Come on, one more push!" the doctor ordered.

"How about I push my foot up your ass?!"

"She'll do it, too," Dex mumbled, wincing.

The doctor ignored them and lightly and carefully tugged on the infant. "Help me out here! PUSH!" he shouted.

With one last curse—beginning with the letter F—she pushed the baby out and slowly fell quiet, body relaxing but still in pain.

After a few moments, there was a loud wail as their child began to cry. Once the nurses had it cleaned up, they brought the infant over, wrapped in a pink blanket.

Tears fell from Dex's eyes as he watched the infant—his daughter—being placed in his wife's arms. A little girl…

"It's a girl," the nurse smiled while another helped prop the new mother up.

Roxanne gently took her daughter, who had a full head of ebony hair, and her eyes tightly screwed shut as she screamed and cried, batting her hands around, actually smacking her father's hand away when he tried to touch her face.

Roxi burst out laughing, tears rolling down her cheeks. "Hey, Dexter? I think I have the perfect name for her…"

"Oh? What's that? Manhater?" he grumbled, a grin on his face. "What happened to Monica or Kristin?"

"No, I don't think they work for her anymore. I was thinking how about… Tempest. Tempest Paige Barrington."

He grinned softly and gently touched her tiny fist. "I like that. Hello, little Tempest… our little storm. Aren't you beautiful? Yes, you are!"

The black-haired mother laughed and leaned down, kissing her daughter's forehead. "Welcome to the world, little one."

.~*~.

Back with Jewel, she had yet to speak. It had been that way for almost three days.

Jewel didn't speak at all, not even when she was taken onto a private jet—owned by the FBI—and flown home to Tennessee with Kaspian and Kenya guarding over her. She didn't even make a sound when told that Dex and Roxanne had a newborn daughter. She just wanted to be with Beary, Dex, Roxi, Lei, and Derek. They were her family… who was this other one they were taking her too? She didn't remember them.

Faye Tality had indeed confirmed that Jewel was now Mrs. Beary Taylor and had shown the FBI agents the papers Beary and Jewel had signed when they had the ceremony. However, she had also told them that it wouldn't be completely legal until they were of the age sixteen. At that point, they would have to renew their vows.

Kenya and Kaspian had tried getting a hold of Jewel's family, but either their numbers had been blocked or disconnected. Either way, neither bear could reach them.

Jewel looked out the window of the black SUV as it drove to Pendleton County. Things were just too new for her. She missed the smell of the forest and the fresh morning air. She missed the feeling of Beary's arms around her or when his lips touched hers, or even when he caressed her cheek. She missed hearing him tell her that he loved her.

Kenya glanced back through the visor mirror at the young mother-to-be and sighed. She could see the McDonald's bag sitting beside the cub, unopened. "Jewel, honey, you haven't eaten in almost a day… That's not good for the baby…"

No response.

"Kiddo, try to eat something…"

"I… I don't feel good…" was the soft reply.

"Are you sick? Did you throw up?" Kenya was immediately worried.

"No… My stomach hurts…" Just as she spoke, another wave of pain filled her body, causing her to wince and groan.

Kaspian began to pull over, only to be growled at.

"We're almost there, Kassie. Just keep going," Kenya growled, looking anxiously at the she-cub.

"I-I'm fine," Jewel whispered as the pain subsided. She wasn't sure what it was, but it hurt like hell. But, at least now it was over, right?

Sighing, she looked out the window as farmlands turned to tall trees. Wait. She recognized those trees… like something from a dream… Tall oaks and pine trees…

Then it came into view. The tall, majestic beauty known as _Country Bear Hall_. A million memories rushed through her mind…

She was home.

**End "Book Two: Keeper of the Stars"**


	30. Announcement--Book Three

**Hi there! Fenix here with a message. I will not be releasing Book Three: Bonds until after January first. That way, I can work out the kinks and spice it up a bit. That will give me plenty of time to write a few chapters. **

**So sorry for the wait. So, I will give you a bit of a preview: [content subject to change]**

_Beary and Jewel, and Ted and Jade now go through new trials as they learn the meaning behind the Bond. The Bears must try to come together again as a family after tragedy strikes on the highway. Along the way, someone new joins the gang, and another Bear finds love, but will she love him back? And with Thrasher working behind the scenes with an old enemy, who knows what will happen?_

_Book Three: Bonds_** Coming to January 1st, 2014**


End file.
